UN agrees global plastic pollution treaty in ‘most significant green deal since Paris 2015’
The United Nations Environment Assembly has approved a resolution to create the world’s first ever global plastic pollution treaty, describing it as the most significant green deal since the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
The approval means work will now begin to set out legally binding rules on plastic waste which should be finalised by the end of 2024.
Member states have held talks for over a week in Nairobi to agree on an international pact to rein in the world’s soaring plastic pollution, which is threatening the health of ecosystems around the world.
Heads of State, Ministers of environment and other representatives from 175 nations erupted into applause at the moment the deal was made.
The UNEA said the "landmark agreement" would address "the full lifecycle of plastic from source to sea".
Plastic production has risen exponentially in the last decades and now amounts to some 400 million tons per year– a figure set to double by 2040.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), said the agreement is "the most important international multilateral environmental deal since the Paris climate accord".
"This is a historic moment," he said. "I congratulate everyone involved for bringing us to this point. But a lot of work lies ahead to deal with the sheer scale of plastic pollution."
He added: "Plastic pollution is everywhere, from the deepest ocean trench to the highest mountain peak. We see this pollution. We feel its climate impacts. We live with the sheer waste of taking a versatile, durable material and making it disposable – losing all value instead of retaining it.
"Now we must make the wrong-headed way we manufacture and use plastic the past."
The announcement has been welcomed by conservation groups.
Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International, said world leaders were on the way to creating a "cleaner and safer future", but warned that implementing the treaty will take determination.
He said: “We stand at a crossroad in history when ambitious decisions taken today can prevent plastic pollution from contributing to our planet’s ecosystem collapse.
"By agreeing to develop a legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution, our world leaders are paving the way for a cleaner and safer future for people and the planet.
“But our work is far from over – world leaders must now show even more resolve in developing and implementing a treaty which addresses our current plastic pollution crisis and enables an effective transition to a circular economy for plastic."
Graham Forbes, global plastic project lead at Greenpeace USA, said: “Today, global leaders sitting in Nairobi heard the millions of voices around the world who are demanding an end to the plastic pollution crisis. This is a clear acknowledgment that the entire lifecycle of plastic, from fossil fuel extraction to disposal, creates pollution that is harmful to people and the planet.
"This is a big step that will keep the pressure on big oil and big brands to reduce their plastic footprint and switch their business models to refill and reuse. Until a strong global treaty is signed, sealed, and delivered, Greenpeace and its allies will keep pushing for a world free of plastic pollution, with clean air and a stable climate.”
The sailor and campaigner Ellen MacArthur, founder of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which campaigns for a circular economy, said: “This is a key moment in the effort to eliminate plastic waste and pollution on a global scale.
"The mandate agreed by UN member states opens the door to a legally binding treaty that deals with the root causes of plastic pollution, not just the symptoms. Critically, this includes measures considering the entire lifecycle of plastics, from its production, to product design, to waste management, enabling opportunities to design out waste before it is created as part of a thriving circular economy.”
