Global Plastic Treaty

This session saw some progress on the text, although with strong disagreements on the possibility of establishing global limits for plastic production. The meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4), which was attended by more than 2,500 participants, made it possible to discuss, among other topics:

• emissions linked to industrial processes, the plastic production chain, product design, waste management, the definition of problematic and avoidable plastics, funding needs and the path to a just transition;
• the definition of intersectional work, which will take place through expert meetings between the official negotiating sessions, in order to catalyze convergence on key issues;
• the creation of a legal drafting group that will be formed in INC-5, with a consultative nature to review the draft text, to ensure legal soundness.

At the moment, waste management and just transition have been the areas of greatest convergence. The inclusion of provisions to limit the amount of plastic manufactured globally and the approach to chemicals and polymers, primary plastics and financing, as well as extended producer responsibility have generated the most controversy.

After this round of negotiations in Ottawa, the INC of the international treaty on plastic pollution will meet in Busan, South Korea, starting on November 25th of this year. This meeting will be the final stage of the negotiations, to be followed by a diplomatic conference where the heads of state are expected to sign the agreement.