On Wednesday, the fifth session of United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), concluded with the adoption a resolution to eliminate plastic pollution. This resolution addresses the entire life cycle of plastic, from its production to its disposal.
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India welcomed the decision and stated that it was based on its insistence on the inclusion of the principle of national circumstances, capability, and taking actions to address plastic pollution in the resolution. This will allow developing countries to continue their development trajectories.
The three-day session in Nairobi began Monday and ended on Monday. Environment ministers from 193 UN member countries agreed to create an intergovernmental negotiation committee with the mandate of forging an international legally binding agreement to eliminate plastic pollution.
The final resolution, published by the United Nations Environment Programme, also noted that plastic pollution in marine and other environments can be transboundary and should be addressed.
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The intergovernmental negotiating panel decides to develop an international legally binding instrument on the plastic pollution. This instrument will be used in the marine environment. It could include both binding and non-binding approaches.
After the session, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav tweeted: HISTORIC STEP at UNEA 5.2… nationsendorse a resolution to #BeatPlasticPollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by 2024. India has taken decisive steps to address plastic pollution, under the leadership and guidance of PM Shri @NarendraModi Ji.
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India has begun the journey to end plastic pollution. It has taken sound and effective EPR on plastic packaging measures as well as banning single-use plastic products with low utility or high littering potential.
In a statement, the ministry stated that the India-submitted draft resolution called for countries to take immediate collective voluntary action.
India worked constructively with all UNEA 5.2 member states to reach consensus on the resolution to drive global action against plastic pollution. This was done by setting up an intergovernmental negotiating panel for a new international legally binding agreement. It said that, at the insistence India, the principle governing national circumstances and ability in addressing plastic pollution was included into the text of the resolution to allow the developing countries to follow the same development paths.
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India also opposed the imposition of the inter-governmental negotiation committee with development targets, definitions and formats at this stage.
After lengthy negotiations, the principal goals of India’s draft resolution were adequately addressed in the resolution entitled End plastic pollution: Towards an internationally legally binding instrument. This resolution was adopted at the UNEA’s fifth session. The statement added that UNEA 5.2 will be remembered because it agreed for collective global actions while respecting national circumstances.
Inger Andersen, the UN Environment Programme’s executive director, stated that this decision was the most significant multilateral environmental agreement since the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
It is important to agree on a definition of nature-based solution. It is important to be able to evaluate whether or not countries and companies claim their actions support nature-based solution. This is especially true in light of the recently released report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on scaling up adaptation. Nature-based solutions will be crucial for this, Andersen stated in a UNEP statement.
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India had initiated a resolution to address single-use plastic pollution at the fourth session of UNEA 2019.
The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules 2021 was notified by the Environment Ministry in August 2018. This amended rules increased the thickness of plastic bags to 50 to 75 microns and to 120 microns starting December 31, 2022. The guidelines prohibit the manufacture, importation, stocking, distribution and sale of products with low utility and high littering potential.
It also announced a ban of ear-buds made with plastic sticks, plastic sticks to balloons, candy sticks and ice-cream sticks, as well as plastic sticks for balloons, candy sticks and ice-cream sticks.
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The ministry published guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging. It was created with the goal of eliminating single-use plastics and promoting alternatives. It also outlined the roles and responsibilities for producers, importers and brands that produce plastic packaging waste, central or state pollution control boards, recyclers, and waste processors in reducing plastic waste.
This resolution is a good step in the right direction. The focus would be on drafting a legally binding treaty that covers the entire lifecycle of plastics, from production to disposal. Previously, we were merely concerned with managing the plastics flood. However, by closing the tap, as the Von Wong illustration (the giant tap) shows, we will also take stock major issues such as plastic manufacturing, which is expected quadruple by 2050. We will also be focusing more on material innovation and alternative plastics. Swati Singh Sambyal, an independent waste management expert, said that this is a positive step.
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