Fight against plastic pollution!
Nice, France, Jun 11 (EFE).-
Momentum is growing for a global treaty to curb plastic pollution, as 96 countries have now endorsed a joint declaration at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) urging negotiators to finalize an agreement this August in Geneva.
The push comes amid resistance from major oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Russia, which have blocked progress in past negotiation rounds despite the scientific consensus on the urgent need to act.
“Some countries have already said they are against it, but leadership is essential. The scientific evidence demands urgent action,” said Sara Aagesen, Spain’s Minister for the Ecological Transition, speaking from Nice, the host city of UNOC3.
Oil states block deal despite mounting ecological risks
Plastic pollution poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems and human health.
Scientists estimate that over 100,000 seabirds and marine mammals die each year due to plastic waste, and studies have linked microplastic exposure to endocrine disorders and cardiovascular problems.
Following a landmark 2022 UN resolution to end plastic pollution, five negotiating sessions, in Uruguay, France, Kenya, Canada, and South Korea, failed to deliver an agreement.
Delegates blamed the blocking efforts of countries with large petrochemical industries.
“We are engaging with countries that haven’t yet joined the initiative,” Aagesen said, noting the importance of persuading undecided states.
According to Andrés del Castillo, a legal expert at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), the Nice Declaration is a “very good starting point” that signals a vocal majority.
“It gives political cover to countries that may fear economic retaliation from treaty opponents,” Del Castillo told EFE.
He also identified Venezuela and Cuba as part of the opposition bloc and warned that more than 1,400 new petrochemical projects are currently in development globally, far outpacing the world’s waste management capabilities.
Global South leads the fight against plastic
Del Castillo noted that low-and middle-income countries have often led the way in curbing plastic use. “It wasn’t developed countries but African nations like Rwanda and Kenya that took the first steps,” he said.
Bangladesh, he recalled, became the first country to regulate plastics in the 1990s, after flooding caused by clogged drains.
The French Minister for Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, stressed the need to limit plastic production, not just rely on recycling.
“It’s misleading to tell the public and the scientific community that recycling alone is enough. We must reduce production,” she stated during a press conference.
According to the French government, 460 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year, a figure that could triple by 2060 without strong international restrictions.
While the Nice Declaration has strong backing from Latin American and European countries, some key global players remain absent, including China, India, and the United States. Latin America’s largest economies, Brazil and Argentina, have also not signed.
However, the declaration has support from Spain, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay. EFE atc/seo
