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En route to a global UN agreement against the plastic flood
From 5 to 14 August, representatives from over 170 countries as well as from science, civil society and industry are meeting in Switzerland to continue the negotiations for a legally binding agreement to tackle the global plastic pollution. Although no final agreement was reached in the last round of negotiations in South Korea, more than 100 countries were much more united and clearer on red lines than before, for example with regard to production limits and the regulation of chemicals. This could be a turning point. In Geneva, the parties will now try to reach a consensus on a final text for the agreement.
AWI marine biologist Dr Melanie Bergmann has been involved in the negotiations since the beginning as part of the German delegation and the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty. “The delegations must use diplomacy to bring their positions closer together, despite geopolitical tensions and differing interests in order to create a basis for successful cooperation." Whether decisions are made by majority or unanimous vote and how conflicts of interest can be avoided will remain crucial points of the negotiations. “Ideally, we will achieve in Geneva that the global community, or at least large parts of it, commit to a strong agreement that is based on scientific facts and recognizes how harmful plastic are to humans and nature.“
Further information:
Briefing from the Science Media Center with Melanie Bergmann
Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the negotiations
Webseite of the Scientists Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty
Press release Plastic Credits May Worsen Plastic Problem
UN negotiations for a Plastic Treaty
Since 2022, delegates from UN member states and representatives from science, civil society and industry have been negotiating an agreement to curb plastic pollution.
In 2022, 175 nations agreed at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi to conclude the first international, legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution. To achieve this, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) was established, which met for the first time in December 2022 in Punta Del Este, Uruguay, to lay the groundwork for the upcoming negotiations.
After setting the organizational course for the agreement in Paris in May and June 2023, the first draft text was discussed at the start of the third negotiations round in Nairobi in November 2023. It summarizes the most important positions of the delegations and the issues to be clarified. For some countries, the draft was not ambitious enough, they wanted more regulations and fewer voluntary commitments, while other delegations found it too strict. Ultimately, the meeting ended without a standardized draft, which should now be laid out in Ottawa in April 2024. The decision to work on technical and scientific issues between the negotiating rounds (intersessional work), for example on chemicals in plastics production, also had to be postponed.
In Canada, the delegations were finally able to agree on authorizing this intersessional work. With the 'Bridge to Busan' declaration, some countries have committed to pursuing more ambitious goals in the fight against plastic pollution, such as upper limits in plastic production and the composition of plastic. Although the negotiations in Busan in November 2024 were unable to reach a final agreement, more than 100 countries were much more united and clearer than before, for example on production limits and the regulation of chemicals. By this, Busan laid an important foundation for future negotiations.
The Global Plastic Tide
Over 460 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide every year. The amount of plastic waste is therefore expected to triple by 2060 if we continue to produce this much plastic. The production alone generates more greenhouse gases than the entire aviation sector. A recent study by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ shows that there are way more plastic particles in the sea than previously assumed. According to the study, there are 27 million tons of tiny plastic particles in the upper water layer of the North Atlantic alone. Plastics can now be found in even the most remote parts of our planet, and researchers are also finding plastic everywhere in our bodies. Studies show that we have already exceeded the planetary boundaries for new substances. As part of the triple planetary crisis, plastics are therefore contributing to global warming and the biodiversity crisis.
Taking Part from the Beginning: Dr. Melanie Bergmann
Melanie Bergmann has been a researcher in the AWI's Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology Working Group since 2004. She has taken part in over 20 expeditions on international research vessels and leads observation programs at the AWI-HAUSGARTEN Observatory to investigate the effects of global warming on the Arctic deep sea. Since 2012, she has been focusing on plastic pollution in the oceans. She has published the reference book 'Marine Anthropogenic Litter' and runs the online portal LITTERBASE to make research data on plastic pollution and scientific findings accessible to a wide audience. With citizen science projects such as the Microplastic Detectives, Melanie Bergmann enables citizens to participate in her research.
In addition to her research, she is also involved in international expert committees, including the "Scientists Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty". The network of over 350 independent experts from more than 30 countries supports the negotiations with assessments and summaries of the current state of research. These are intended to help the delegates make well-founded decisions. In addition, in a joint project between the AWI and the WWF project, it produced a decisive report that led to the adoption of an ambitious resolution at the UN Environment Assembly.
Positions and Crucial Points
Two camps have roughly formed in the international community that have different views on what the Plastic Agreement should look like: the High Ambition Coalition (in favor of a strong agreement), which is in favor of reducing the global production of plastic and abolishing toxic chemical additives in plastic. And on the other side, the Like-Minded Group (industry and production friendly), which does not want binding production limits, but rather national action plans to set their own targets.
Researchers and some delegations argue that the most effective ways to combat plastic pollution are not recycling or tools such as plastic credits, but rather limiting the production of plastic to unavoidable areas of use. Even if plastic production were to be reduced by one to three per cent per year, the amount of plastic produced would still add up to at least 20,000 million tons of plastic by 2040. Where the use of plastic cannot be avoided, the design and composition must be adjusted in order to reduce the chemical diversity and gradually eliminate substances of concern.
It still remains unclear how the agreement should ultimately be voted on: Majority or by consensus, the latter of which would be equivalent to a veto. This question is not trivial, as more than 100 of the 193 member states had spoken out in favor of a reduction in plastics production, prior to the negotiations. Only fewer than 15 states were in favor of increasing plastic production, and these would have a right of veto in the event of a consensus decision.
