adelphi research at the fourth round of negotiations for a treaty to combat plastic pollution

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News publ. 30. Apr 2024

Seagull in the water, carrying a plastic bag in its beak
© Tim Mossholder/unsplash

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After a week of negotiations in Ottawa, Canada, the fourth round of negotiations on a Global Plastics Treaty wraps up with mixed results. Progress has been made on the draft treaty text, and two new intersessional expert groups have been agreed upon. But major divisions remain on crucial provisions to tackle plastic pollution. 

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With mixed results the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-4) ended in Ottawa in the early morning of 30 April. On the one hand, delegates have made some progress in cleaning, validating and negotiating the revised draft treaty text and its various provisions. They also, after failing to do so at two previous INCs, finally agreed on two intersessional expert groups to further prepare negotiations at INC-5. One expert group will discuss sources and means for implementation, including options for a financial mechanism, while the other will work on criteria and non-criteria approaches for chemicals and polymers of concern in plastic products.

On the other hand, major divergences persist on provisions that many view as essential for effectively ending plastic pollution, namely those that target plastic production or chemicals and polymers of concern in plastic products. Common ground is not in sight for these issues. Instead, negotiations on these have become even more confrontational, which has prevented agreement on further intersessional work on primary plastic polymer production reductions before INC-5.

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Bringing Plastics into Focus
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adelphi employee Per-Olof Busch
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We are glad that delegates made some progress on text and finally agreed on intersessional work. Now the focus must be to ensure that the many ambitious countries are not held hostage by those countries who pretend that recycling and waste management will solve the problem of global plastic pollution.
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Dr. Per-Olof Busch
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Senior Researcher at adelphi research gGmbH
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adelphi research's long-standing support for a global treaty

adelphi research has been lobbying for an ambitious plastics treaty (and spelled out institutional aspects thereof) long  before states at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) in February 2022 formally agreed on the negotiation process in  resolution 5/14, establishing the INC. Since then, several of adelphi research’s projects have served to inform and support member states from different regions at the negotiations in Punta del Este, Paris, Nairobi and now Ottawa. From supporting and advising national governments from the Asia-Pacific region, creating an expert pool in support of the High Ambition Coalition to end plastic pollution to negotiating a financing toolbox for a legally binding global plastics treaty, adelphi research has shown great commitment in the fight against plastic pollution. 

Plastic pollution is most commonly pictured as marine debris, floating on the ocean surface or as microplastics in hygiene articles or food chains. However, pollution occurs during the entire lifecycle of plastics, starting at the extraction of its most common raw materials: oil and gas, during its manufacturing and use phase, and once it becomes waste, either managed or discarded. This is one of the reasons why recycling alone is not the silver-bullet solution. Another reason is that the currently produced plastic contains more than 60.000, often hazardous, chemicals, which render recycled materials unfit for many of the applications that primary plastic polymers (or virgin plastics) are currently used for. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that plastic production and thus plastic pollution is projected to increase drastically in the upcoming years, with detrimental effects on the environment, human health as well as on social and economic development. 

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Against this backdrop, adelphi research regards the development of better upstream regulations as indispensable to effectively prevent plastic pollution. The project Prevention of Marine Litter in the Caribbean Sea (PROMAR) directly implements pilot solutions for downstream measurements in waste management. As part of the PROMAR project, adelphi research and its partners also directly support the work of delegations from Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, both ahead of and during the INC-4. Related to PROMAR’s presence at INC-4, the project partners prepared a position paper, calling for a strong global agreement to tackle plastic pollution, with ambitious targets and strict enforcement. 

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Prevention of Marine Litter in the Caribbean Sea (PROMAR)
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At INC-3, in addition to the support rendered through the PROMAR project, adelphi research experts also supported the policy support component of the SWITCH Asia Programme. Under this assignment, plastic policy expert Per-Olof Busch analysed the positions of countries worldwide on the different options for the core obligations that are on the table. 

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Ambitions and Positions: Where do Asia-Pacific countries stand on the international plastics treaty negotiations?
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For the remainder of the negotiations, the services rendered by adelphi research in support of an ambitious Global Plastics Treaty include advice and substantive support in the organisation of expert workshops, preparation of information, knowledge and research products, strategic support, capacity development of delegates through online webinars, and other preparatory meetings as well as on-site support during the negotiations in Ottawa and at the upcoming INC-5 in Busan, Korea.

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The level of ambition in addressing plastic pollution is heavily influenced by how implementation will be funded and from which sources. There are different opinions among countries regarding the financing of measures to reduce plastic pollution. Some advocate for an independent financial mechanism exclusively dedicated to the Plastics Treaty, while others propose integrating it into existing frameworks. Given the importance of international cooperation in addressing plastic pollution for environmental protection and human well-being, this Policy Brief aims to provide a succinct overview of the financing instruments under consideration.

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Financing Options for the Global Plastic Treaty
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Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency

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