I’m in Ottawa on the fourth assembly of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) on a treaty to handle international plastic air pollution.
The fast-paced course of began in March 2022 and is ready to culminate with the ultimate treaty language in Busan, South Korea, this fall.
On the final assembly in November, critics bemoaned the variety of business lobbyists attempting to hijack the method. One-hundred-and-forty-three fossil gasoline and chemical business lobbyists attended, greater than the delegates of the 70 smallest international locations on the summit. That assembly ended with no settlement on targets, baselines, schedules or reporting mechanisms attributable to the foot-dragging of nations with main fossil gasoline industries.
Because of this, the tone heading into this week of negotiations was not overly optimistic.
Environmental NGOs and activists need these three issues:
- Globally enforceable prolonged producer duty legal guidelines.
- A simply and equitable transition.
- An total discount in plastic manufacturing.
Of the three targets, the primary seems unlikely to emerge from this treaty course of. The second objective has broad help, regardless of the problem of setting goal measures round it. The third objective, although, elicits the loudest rallying cry from activists.
So, are manufacturing caps imminent within the upcoming treaty? Removed from it.
A bunch of ‘like-minded international locations’
A number of petrochemical-producing international locations led by Saudi Arabia, Iran and China have used delaying ways and requires consensus to decrease the general ambition of the treaty. Due to the best way the ultimate language is drafted and adopted, this group holds energy and makes manufacturing caps much less probably.
Within the opening plenary of INC-4, I noticed these international locations take to the microphone a number of instances to lift course of questions and stress the significance of “improved waste administration” globally for the ultimate treaty. These had been clumsily veiled makes an attempt to stall the negotiations and alter the scope of labor.
These had been clumsily veiled makes an attempt to stall the negotiations and alter the scope of labor.
The unique decision referred to as for a treaty that “addresses the total lifecycle of plastic, together with its manufacturing, design and disposal.” Most stakeholders collaborating within the treaty course of agree with this objective, however the oil-producing international locations try to alter the principles in the midst of the sport.
Chemical corporations and polymer producers
The principle stakeholders embody the chemical business and the oil corporations that provide uncooked plastic supplies. With out regulation or manufacturing caps, their motivation to cut back virgin plastic is much less clear minimize.
I spoke to folks in Ottawa from a few chemical corporations and got here away with these themes:
- Many corporations are constructing recycling infrastructure themselves to benefit from their experience in chemistry and engineering and to arrange for a future with decrease virgin polymer demand. This contains investments by ExxonMobil, Dow and Eastman.
- These corporations are interested by diversifying their outputs. This will manifest as polymers for sturdy merchandise, new high-performance polymers and different methods to hedge towards a future lower in demand for single-use polymers. This diversification mitigates future threat as effectively.
- Lastly, and possibly most essential, these corporations are usually not resistant to market shifts. If clients sign a shift away from single-use plastics, these corporations will adapt.
This brings me to a different key participant within the plastic provide chain, shopper packaged items corporations, or CPGs.
CPG corporations within the crosshairs
Talking of market indicators, shopper packaging is in the end what litters our highways, seashores and parks. Customers don’t rapidly overlook the model names on these labels.
If activists and NGOs involved about international plastic air pollution need to place blame, it’s not tough to direct it towards probably the most seen corporations within the international plastic provide chain.
The CPG corporations I’ve spoken to in Ottawa are keenly conscious of this. Many cite numerous initiatives to cut back their very own virgin plastic use. These embody lightweighting, materials substitution, utilizing extra recycled content material and shifting to reuse and refill fashions.
Many corporations will miss their 2025 plastics targets, however they’re making progress in contrast with friends that had set none.
In different phrases, relatively than supply-side reductions by a authorized framework, most CPGs are considering of demand-side reductions.
Primarily based on tendencies we’re seeing towards the 2025 packaging targets of many CPGs, you may forgive skeptics for being, effectively, skeptical. Many corporations will miss their 2025 plastics targets, however they’re making progress in contrast with friends that had set none, based on a report from the Ellen MacArthur Basis.
That report additionally requires extra formidable and binding insurance policies, along with voluntary enterprise motion.
Whereas particular person firm efforts are welcomed, they received’t be sufficient if unhealthy actors are standing in the best way of an total discount in plastic manufacturing worldwide. Paradoxically, one of many issues INC-4 most wants to handle plastic air pollution — international coverage — could find yourself being the primary factor this international treaty doesn’t ship.