I’m in Ottawa on the fourth assembly of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) on a treaty to handle world 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.
In consequence, the tone heading into this week of negotiations was not overly optimistic.
Environmental NGOs and activists need these three issues:
- Globally enforceable prolonged producer accountability legal guidelines.
- A simply and equitable transition.
- An general discount in plastic manufacturing.
Of the three objectives, the primary seems unlikely to emerge from this treaty course of. The second objective has broad help, regardless of the issue 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 techniques 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 possible.
Within the opening plenary of INC-4, I noticed these international locations take to the microphone a number of instances to boost course of questions and stress the significance of “improved waste administration” globally for the ultimate treaty. These have been clumsily veiled makes an attempt to stall the negotiations and alter the scope of labor.
These have been clumsily veiled makes an attempt to stall the negotiations and alter the scope of labor.
The unique decision known as for a treaty that “addresses the complete lifecycle of plastic, together with its manufacturing, design and disposal.” Most stakeholders taking part within the treaty course of agree with this objective, however the oil-producing international locations are attempting to alter the foundations in the midst of the sport.
Chemical corporations and polymer producers
The primary stakeholders embrace the chemical business and the oil corporations that offer uncooked plastic supplies. With out regulation or manufacturing caps, their motivation to scale back virgin plastic is much less clear reduce.
I spoke to individuals in Ottawa from a few chemical corporations and got here away with these themes:
- Many corporations are constructing recycling infrastructure themselves to reap the benefits of their experience in chemistry and engineering and to organize for a future with decrease virgin polymer demand. This consists of investments by ExxonMobil, Dow and Eastman.
- These corporations are desirous about 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 danger as nicely.
- Lastly, and perhaps most vital, these corporations usually are not proof against 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, client packaged items corporations, or CPGs.
CPG corporations within the crosshairs
Talking of market alerts, client packaging is finally what litters our highways, seashores and parks. Shoppers don’t rapidly overlook the model names on these labels.
If activists and NGOs involved about world plastic air pollution want to place blame, it isn’t troublesome to direct it towards essentially the most seen corporations within the world plastic provide chain.
The CPG corporations I’ve spoken to in Ottawa are keenly conscious of this. Many cite varied initiatives to scale back their very own virgin plastic use. These embrace lightweighting, materials substitution, utilizing extra recycled content material and shifting to reuse and refill fashions.
Many corporations will miss their 2025 plastics objectives, however they’re making progress in contrast with friends that had set none.
In different phrases, quite than supply-side reductions by means of a authorized framework, most CPGs are pondering of demand-side reductions.
Based mostly on traits we’re seeing towards the 2025 packaging objectives of many CPGs, you’ll be able to forgive skeptics for being, nicely, skeptical. Many corporations will miss their 2025 plastics objectives, however they’re making progress in contrast with friends that had set none, in keeping with 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 gained’t be sufficient if dangerous actors are standing in the best way of an general discount in plastic manufacturing worldwide. Sarcastically, one of many issues INC-4 most wants to handle plastic air pollution — world coverage — might find yourself being the principle factor this world treaty doesn’t ship.
