The Fort Worth Press - Showdown looms on plastic treaty days before deadline

USD -
AED 3.673042
AFN 71.007121
ALL 87.177673
AMD 389.933212
ANG 1.80229
AOA 917.000367
ARS 1175.525233
AUD 1.55135
AWG 1.8
AZN 1.70397
BAM 1.730107
BBD 2.023884
BDT 121.783361
BGN 1.730107
BHD 0.377903
BIF 2981.556018
BMD 1
BND 1.300632
BOB 6.926445
BRL 5.656604
BSD 1.002344
BTN 84.711398
BWP 13.647662
BYN 3.280375
BYR 19600
BZD 2.013446
CAD 1.38245
CDF 2871.000362
CHF 0.827046
CLF 0.024745
CLP 949.55991
CNY 7.271604
CNH 7.21136
COP 4268.654076
CRC 506.877792
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 97.540802
CZK 22.046504
DJF 178.495289
DKK 6.604904
DOP 58.870361
DZD 132.406564
EGP 50.738202
ERN 15
ETB 134.130833
EUR 0.88485
FJD 2.255904
FKP 0.753484
GBP 0.753778
GEL 2.740391
GGP 0.753484
GHS 14.082887
GIP 0.753484
GMD 71.503851
GNF 8682.383122
GTQ 7.719935
GYD 210.323323
HKD 7.750804
HNL 26.031227
HRK 6.667404
HTG 130.824008
HUF 357.970388
IDR 16466.95
ILS 3.587704
IMP 0.753484
INR 84.526504
IQD 1313.105401
IRR 42112.503816
ISK 129.310386
JEP 0.753484
JMD 158.989783
JOD 0.709204
JPY 144.935504
KES 129.656332
KGS 87.450384
KHR 4016.099783
KMF 434.503794
KPW 899.999988
KRW 1399.903789
KWD 0.30664
KYD 0.835331
KZT 517.838029
LAK 21675.438984
LBP 89812.021761
LKR 300.154806
LRD 200.477686
LSL 18.451855
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 5.473042
MAD 9.29444
MDL 17.240922
MGA 4552.16949
MKD 54.429652
MMK 2099.612718
MNT 3573.127216
MOP 8.002742
MRU 39.924809
MUR 45.330378
MVR 15.410378
MWK 1738.068911
MXN 19.580504
MYR 4.261504
MZN 64.000344
NAD 18.451855
NGN 1603.710377
NIO 36.887965
NOK 10.416604
NPR 135.53806
NZD 1.681945
OMR 0.384758
PAB 1.002344
PEN 3.674908
PGK 4.155867
PHP 55.510375
PKR 281.664912
PLN 3.781064
PYG 8019.815118
QAR 3.657835
RON 4.405604
RSD 103.675527
RUB 82.931576
RWF 1414.74634
SAR 3.750083
SBD 8.340429
SCR 14.218038
SDG 600.503676
SEK 9.654604
SGD 1.299704
SHP 0.785843
SLE 22.790371
SLL 20969.483762
SOS 572.869211
SRD 36.825038
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.770843
SYP 13001.814505
SZL 18.443982
THB 33.085038
TJS 10.374453
TMT 3.5
TND 3.00721
TOP 2.342104
TRY 38.461804
TTD 6.797293
TWD 30.719304
TZS 2699.367509
UAH 41.850767
UGX 3671.989031
UYU 42.062895
UZS 12930.249016
VES 86.73797
VND 26005
VUV 121.092148
WST 2.778527
XAF 580.261843
XAG 0.031235
XAU 0.000309
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.72166
XOF 580.261843
XPF 105.497811
YER 244.650363
ZAR 18.393804
ZMK 9001.203587
ZMW 27.820779
ZWL 321.999592
  • RBGPF

    67.2100

    67.21

    +100%

  • VOD

    -0.1200

    9.61

    -1.25%

  • GSK

    0.3200

    39.07

    +0.82%

  • CMSC

    0.0700

    22.1

    +0.32%

  • RYCEF

    0.1300

    10.35

    +1.26%

  • AZN

    1.9300

    72.44

    +2.66%

  • NGG

    0.0300

    71.68

    +0.04%

  • BP

    0.2400

    28.12

    +0.85%

  • BTI

    -0.1300

    43.17

    -0.3%

  • RELX

    0.9400

    55.02

    +1.71%

  • SCS

    0.2700

    10.14

    +2.66%

  • CMSD

    0.0600

    22.32

    +0.27%

  • JRI

    0.0600

    13.07

    +0.46%

  • RIO

    1.1500

    59.7

    +1.93%

  • BCC

    3.4400

    96.15

    +3.58%

  • BCE

    0.0100

    21.45

    +0.05%

Showdown looms on plastic treaty days before deadline
Showdown looms on plastic treaty days before deadline / Photo: © AFP

Showdown looms on plastic treaty days before deadline

Diplomats warned Friday of a looming showdown in negotiations to reach the world's first deal to curb plastic pollution, after a new draft text emerged littered with competing visions and ongoing disagreements.

Text size:

With just two days of talks left, countries seeking an ambitious treaty urged delegations that "have not moved a centimetre" to make compromises or "get out of the way."

Panama's delegation head even warned that the UN's usual consensus process could be abandoned for a vote if progress stalled further.

"If there is not a full consensus and we can go to voting, one country, one vote, we're also looking forward to that option," said Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez.

Nearly 200 nations are in South Korea's Busan with the goal of sealing a landmark deal by Sunday, capping two years of negotiations.

But the latest draft text continues to reflect the faultline dividing a handful of mostly oil-producing states -- who supply the precursors for plastic production -- from a coalition grouping European, African, Latin American and Asian countries.

The text has eight possible definitions for plastic alone, and five options for the meaning of plastic pollution.

No text at all is proposed on "chemicals of concern" that are known or believed to be harmful to human health, and an article on health remains virtually bare, along with an option to scrap it altogether -- a request made earlier by Saudi Arabia.

It includes language proposed by Panama on production, which suggests countries agree a reduction target after the treaty is signed.

But it leaves open the option of deleting the article on supply entirely, a suggestion also previously made by Saudi Arabia.

There is growing frustration among some delegations, particularly small island states that are especially vulnerable to ocean plastic.

"The Gulf states want to protect their economy with the fossil fuels. What about us? Do we even mean anything?" asked Micronesia's Andrew Yatilman.

Panama's Monterrey said that if nations opposed to cutting production are "not willing to lead, please leave it to the rest of us and get out of the way".

- 'Non-negotiable' -

Monterrey told AFP his focus was squarely on production cuts.

"The battle will be based on defending that article," he said. "We are not here to negotiate a greenwashing and recycling treaty."

European diplomats echoed that sentiment.

"Mopping the floor when the tap is open is useless," said the EU's Anthony Agotha.

In 2019, the world produced around 460 million tonnes of plastic -- a figure expected to triple by 2060, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Plastic pollution is so ubiquitous that it has been found in clouds, the deepest ocean trenches and even human breastmilk, raising growing concerns about its health impacts.

Other delegates sounded the alarm on the draft's lack of text on health issues and chemical components of plastic.

Fiji's representative warned there would be "no treaty without a provision on chemicals of concern."

"This is a non-negotiable for us," said Sivendra Michael.

Time pressure is mounting on the delegates, some of whom are soon due to leave Busan for a climate meeting on desertification in Riyadh that begins on December 2.

Environmental groups warned against accepting "the low level of ambition" in the draft.

Without strong measures "the treaty will fail," said Eirik Lindebjerg, global plastics policy lead at WWF.

Not everyone was similarly pessimistic.

The International Council of Chemical Associations, which groups global chemical and petrochemical industry bodies, welcomed "the progress made" in the latest text, which "moves us closer towards a legally binding plastics agreement."

However, the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, which represents multinationals including Nestle, warned the text was "too weak."

"This draft does not provide the certainty business is seeking," said spokeswoman Jodie Roussell.

N.Patterson--TFWP