This landmark resolution addresses all aspects of plastic’s lifecycle, including design, production, and disposal.
We are on the right track to a cure
The UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) shows multilateral cooperation against the backdrop of geopolitical turmoil. Espen Barth Eide, President of the Assembly and Minister for Climate and the Environment of Norway, said that this is a great example of multilateral cooperation. We are now officially on the path to a cure for plastic pollution that has become an epidemic.
Plastic pollution is now an epidemic. With today’s resolution, we are officially on the right track to a cure. Espen Barth Eide
Based on three draft resolutions from different nations, the resolution establishes an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee. It will begin work this year and aim to complete a legally binding draft by 2024.
The resulting legal binding instrument will reflect alternative solutions to the full lifecycle and design of reusable products and materials. There is also a need for international collaboration to improve technology access, in order to realize the revolutionary plan.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEPIt stated that it would convene a forum in conjunction with the INC’s first session, in order to share knowledge and best practice in different parts.
UNEP/Cyril Villemain
Espen Barth Eide, President of UNEA (right), Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director (center), Keriako Tobiiko, Cabinet Secretary of Environment of Kenya (right), and Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director (center), applaud the passage of the resolution.
Triumph by planet earth
It will be based in open discussion and informed by science. It will also report on progress during the next two years. UNEP will convene an international conference to adopt the INCs results and make them available for signatures after they have completed their work.
It is an insurance policy that protects future generations. They can live with plastic and not be destroyed. Inger Andersen
Today marks a victory by planet earth over single use plastics. This is the largest multilateral environmental deal since the Paris agreement. It is an insurance policy that will allow future generations to live with plastic, and not be destroyed by it. Inger Andersen is the Executive Director of UNEP.
She clarified that the INCs mandate doesn’t grant any stakeholder a two year pause. UNEP will work alongside any government or business willing to reach an international binding agreement to move away from single-use plastics.
Problem scale
UNEP
Dandora landfill, Nairobi, Kenya. Most of the waste in this landfill is plastic.
UNEP stated that plastic pollution rose from two million tonnes of 1950 to 348 millions tonnes in 2017, making it a global industry worth $522.6billion. It is expected that it will double in size by 2040.
The UN agency stated that the impacts of plastic production and pollution on the triple global crisis of climate change and nature loss and polluting are a disaster in the making. Exposed to plastics can cause harm to human health and may affect fertility, hormonal and metabolic activity, as well as open burning of plastics.air pollution.
The greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production, use, and disposal will reach a new high by 2050Under the goal to limit global warming to 1.5, a 15% share of permitted emissions would be attributable to this group.C (34.7F) in line avec the Paris AgreementClimate Change
This pollution has a negative impact on more than 800 marine and coastal species. Around 11 million tonnes of plastic waste are released each year into the sea. This could increase by threefold by 2040.
With the conclusion to the three-day conference, the historic resolution entitled End Plastic Pollution: Achieving an internationally legally binding instrument was adoptedUNEA-5.2Meeting attended by more that 3,400 people in person and 1,500 online participants. 175 UN Member States were represented, including 79 ministers, 17 high-ranking officials.
The Assembly will be followedUNEP@50 is a two-day Special Session within the AssemblyUNEP’s 50thanniversary is marked by Member States expected to address how to create a resilient and inclusive world post-pandemic.
The UN deputy chief: Protecting nature is at the heart of SDGs
In Her commentsThe UN Environment Assembly, the Deputy Secret-General Amina MohammedAccording to a report, the theme was “Strengthening Actions for the Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
“One thing is certain: Protecting nature is the core of achieving the goals. 2030 AgendaShe spoke out in support of the Paris Agreement’s goals.
“If we are going to ensure food and water security around the globe, we need to stop ecosystem collapse.”
COP26 highlighted the need to keep 1.5C degrees within reach, she stated, adding that everyone knows climate impacts are “the greatest dividers: they affect vulnerable communities all over the world; and they have disproportionately an impact on the ability of developing nations to prosper and thrive.”
She stated that protecting ecosystems will allow us to close the key greenhouse gases emissions gap by 2030. “A gap that is unfortunately growing, not shrinking.”
Ms. Mohammed stated that progress on a legally binding, global agreement on plastic pollution offers “a chance for truly making a difference” and that multilateralism is still important, pointing out that Africa has been the pioneer.
She said that 34 of 54 countries have already passed legislation on single-use plastic bags.
“Today, plastic pollution has affected every part of the planet, from deep ocean sediment to Mount Everest. This scourge affects all of us and deserves a multilateral solution. An agreement that speaks “from source to sea.”
UNEA photo Gallery: Participants celebrate passing of resolution
