Plastics treaty talks get down to specifics

Paris — The second round of plastics treaty talks in Paris wrapped up June 2 by completing a major step: An agreement among countries to write a detailed draft ahead of their next negotiating session in six months.

What exactly that draft treaty would say is up in the air, but countries and observers saw it as significant that the talks will now get specific about what nations could be required to do. A lot remains on the table.

Plastics industry groups left the five-day session in Paris taking an optimistic tone about what had happened, even as they voiced concerns about negotiators debating potential caps or limits on virgin resin production.

Environmental groups said they welcomed the decision to write a draft agreement, as they warned about what they saw as attempts by fossil fuel and plastics-producing countries and companies to water down a treaty.

And a coalition of consumer product makers and financial institutions said they hoped the draft would include specific policy measures, noting that 130 countries were calling for binding rules in the treaty.

The head of the United Nations Environment Programme, which organizes the talks, outlined next steps and highlighted efforts to reduce "problematic" plastics, boost reuse and recyclability and to redesign plastics systems with justice and equity in mind.

"Plastic has been the default option in design for too long," said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen, in a statement. "It is time to redesign products to use less plastic, particularly unnecessary and problematic plastics, to redesign product packaging and shipping to use less plastic, to redesign systems and products for reuse and recyclability and to redesign the broader system for justice."

U.N. officials are asking observers and nations to submit detailed comments in coming months, including on what intersessional work is needed ahead of the next round of talks, which are scheduled for UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, in November.

The 169 nations participating in Paris tasked the head of the negotiating committee, a senior Peruvian diplomat, and treaty staff to draft an agreement that countries would then debate in Kenya.

The head of the Global Partners for Plastics Circularity, a coalition of associations representing chemical and plastics resin makers, said they want to be part of the work before the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee talks in Kenya.

"Between now and INC-3, we invite governments to engage us," said Benny Mermans, chair of the World Plastics Council and a Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. executive. "The GPPC has deep expertise to share, and we seek to collaborate to find solutions that can help solve the unique challenges countries face towards eliminating plastic pollution."

Environmental groups said they saw momentum for a strong treaty.

The World Wildlife Fund said 135 countries are formally calling for binding rules in the treaty and 94 states said the agreement should "prioritize bans or phase-outs of problematic polymers, chemicals and high-risk plastic products."

"The first draft of the treaty that will now be developed must reflect the ambition shown by the vast majority of countries here in Paris, and include the global bans and control measures that are needed to reduce and eliminate production and consumption of unnecessary and harmful plastic products and materials," said Marco Lambertini, WWF special envoy.

A business group allied with WWF, the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, said in a June 5 statement that it was "greatly encouraged" that more than 130 countries had called for binding rules.

The group, which includes consumer product makers like Coca-Cola Co. and Unilever plc, as well as financial institutions, said it hoped diplomats can complete detailed draft text by the Nairobi meeting, and that it includes specific government policy measures.

"Leading businesses recognize that ambitious goals and aspirations to end plastic pollution in a treaty have little value on their own, and hope that the zero draft will contain clear policy measures that help us get there," the coalition said.

The talks saw some significant disagreements between countries.

Saudi Arabia, for example, led activity on the plenary meeting floor that prevented substantive work from moving ahead on two of the five days, saying it wanted the treaty to make decisions by consensus, rather than voting.

Some environmental groups said that reflected fossil fuel producing countries wanting to weaken any potential agreement.

Plastics industry groups said they want the treaty to emphasize national action plans to reduce plastics pollution and focus on increasing global recycling rates, as they said they wanted to be active in the talks.

They also urged diplomats to the consider benefits of plastics in cutting greenhouse gas emissions by reducing food waste, and by enabling the manufacture of climate technologies like electric vehicles, wind turbines and solar panels.

"When concepts such as plastic production caps are thrown around during negotiations in the name of achieving our common climate goals, applications such as these must be considered, without fail," said Matt Seaholm, president and CEO of the Plastics Industry Association.

"It was made clear throughout the events that the level of plastics knowledge among the various countries' negotiators was low, especially regarding how plastics are made, used, reused, and then recycled," the association said in a statement.

An executive with the American Chemistry Council said that while much work remains in the treaty, it wanted to see an agreement that was implementable and focused on plastic pollution.

"The negotiations underscored that there is significant alignment on the need for an agreement to accelerate circularity of plastics," said Joshua Baca, ACC's vice president of plastics.

As well, Mermans, the head of the WPC, said industry remains "optimistic" that the Paris talks highlighted "practical and effective" ideas.

He said an agreement can foster government policy to speed up industry investments in green technology, even as he said better recycling alone will not be enough.

"This agreement can unleash even more by creating an enabling policy environment to foster additional investments and innovative solutions to tackle plastic pollution.," Mermans said.

"To help achieve a world without plastic pollution, we need more than just recycling," he said. "We support more sustainable consuming and producing plastics, designing products for reuse and recycling, and universal access to proper waste management for the 3 billion people that currently lack it."

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