This landmark resolution addresses all aspects of plastic’s life cycle, 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. Plastic pollution has become an epidemic. Today’s resolution is a step closer to finding a cure.
Based on three initial draft resolutions of different nations, the resolution creates an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee. This committee will start its work in this year with the goal to complete a draft legally binding agreement before 2024.
This will in turn be expected to present a legally binding document that would reflect diverse options to address the entire lifecycle of plastics, the design and use of reusable and recycled products and materials. It also would highlight the need for increased international collaboration to facilitate technology access and allow the revolutionary plan to become a reality.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP() stated that it would convene an international forum to share best practices and knowledge in different parts of the globe by the end of the year.
UNEP/Cyril VillemainEspen Barth Eide (Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment and President of the UN Environment Assembly), bangs the gavel announcing the historic passage and approval of a resolution to eliminate plastic pollution
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 a conference diplomatic to adopt the INCs outcome and open it up for signatures once it is complete.
Today is 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 also work with any government or business that is willing to negotiate an international binding deal to shift away single-use plastics.
The problem’s scale
UNEPDandora landfill in Nairobi (Kenya), where plastic is a large part of the waste.
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 to double its capacity by 2040.
The UN agency stated that plastic pollution and plastic production are contributing to the triple planetary crisis of climate, nature loss, and pollution. Exposure to plastics can harm human health and possibly affect fertility, hormonal, metabolic, and neurological activity. Open burning of plastics also contributes to this problem. air pollution.
In 2050, the greenhouse gas emissions related to plastic production, disposal, and use will exceed 1.2 million tonnes.Under 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
More than 800 marine or coastal species are directly affected by this pollution, which can be ingestion, entanglement or other dangers. Each year, around 11 million tonnes worth of plastic waste flows into the ocean. This could increase by threefold by 2040.
The three-day conference concluded with the adoption of the historic resolution, End Plastic Pollution: Towards an internationally legally bound instrument UNEA-5.2More than 3,400 participants attended the meeting in person and 1,500 online from 175 UN member states, including 79 ministers, 17 high-ranking officials.
The Assembly will be followed UNEP@50 is a two-day Special Session within the AssemblyUNEP’s 50th anniversary is marked by Member States expected to discuss how to build a resilient, inclusive post-pandemic world.
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