Final Negotiations Begin: The World Needs a Strong Treaty to End Plastic Pollution
As the world prepares for the final round of negotiations on a global plastics treaty in Busan, Republic of Korea next week, mounting scientific evidence shows the devastating impacts of plastic pollution not only on human health but also on marine ecosystems. As latest research reveals, whales and dolphins are mistaking plastic debris for prey due to similar acoustic signatures, while microplastics have been found in dolphin breath – highlighting the urgency for decisive action.
- UN member states gather in Busan, Republic of Korea from November 25 to December 1, 2024 for the final round of negotiations on a legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution.
- Despite mounting evidence of plastic harm to marine life and human health, due to the vested interests by the petrochemical and plastic industry, treaty provisions risk of being weakened.
- OceanCare calls for this milestone opportunity to be seized and for an ambitious treaty to come out of Busan that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics, from production to waste.
Fabienne McLellan, Managing Director of OceanCare, said:
“The science is clear – plastic pollution is killing marine life, destroying ocean ecosystems, and is harming our health. Now is the time for decisive action. Only a strong treaty that cuts plastic production and stops pollution will do the job. The ocean and its inhabitants need an effective, comprehensive agreement that will truly end the plastic crisis.
“We find ourselves at a pivotal moment in history that requires real leadership and vision. Will human societies be able to work together and find sufficient responses to the environmental crisis? Governments must now rise to this challenge to meet their responsibility to protect the ocean and the planet. OceanCare is particularly dismayed that promising proposals to address pollution from fishing and aquaculture gear have been removed from the originally proposed text. This is a major setback.”
OceanCare emphasizes that the treaty must address the full lifecycle of plastics – from limiting production of virgin plastic to preventing plastic leakage into the environment. This includes specific provisions to tackle marine pollution sources like abandoned and lost fishing and aquaculture gear, which poses one of the deadliest threats to marine life.
The current negotiating text still contains numerous competing options, from ambitious measures to weak voluntary commitments. As an organisation with official UN consultative status, OceanCare’s experts will be in Busan to remind delegates their historic responsibility and advocate for an agreement that effectively tackles the plastic pollution crisis at its source.
Ewoud Lauwerier, Plastic Policy Expert at OceanCare, warned:
“The influence of petrochemical and plastic industry lobbyists remains deeply concerning. At previous negotiating sessions, industry representatives outnumbered delegates from many smaller nations combined. The INC Secretariat’s lack of transparency about industry participation and potential conflicts of interest undermines the integrity of this process. We need clear safeguards to ensure this treaty serves public interest rather than corporate profit.”
Publications
- Why Whales and Dolphins are Eating Plastic – New Insights (15/11/2024)
- Break Free From Plastic Members and Allies Urge Leaders to Commit to Plastic Production Reduction (24/09/2024)
- OceanCare et al.: The plastics treaty’s critical role in tackling fishing gear. Policy briefing for the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee for UNEA 5/14
- OceanCare report (2021): Under Pressure: The need to protect whales and dolphins in European waters – Chapter 10 on Marine Plastic Pollution (p. 120)
- Factsheets on the full-lifecycle impact on plastics, human health, additives etc. are available upon request.
