Our production of plastic waste is out of control – this could be our last chance to do something about it

At the beginning of this week, as an author and campaigner, I had a long and friendly meeting with Luis Vayas Valdivieso, who serves not only as Ecuador’s ambassador to the United Kingdom but also as the chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on plastic pollution. Well, readers of The Independent may remember the paper’s banner headline on 2 March, 2022: Countries agree ‘historic’ move to draw up legal treaty to end plastic pollution “Representatives of 175 countries endorsed a resolution at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi to end plastic pollution and draw up an international legally binding agreement by 2024. “Negotiation efforts will begin this year, and the treaty is expected to tackle plastic through its life cycle, including its production, design and disposal.” After the meeting, Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said: “Today marks a triumph by planet Earth over single-use plastics.” The then international environment minister, Zac Goldsmith, said: “This agreement by governments at Unea is truly historic, and I’m so proud that the UK co- Well, euphoria has its sell-by date. As the ambassador put it to me: “To achieve this goal, we will have only seven days at INC 5 in which to finalise the text if we are to conclude, as we must according to the UN resolution, by the end of 2024.” The ambassador frankly admitted that the document currently before governments and other interested parties is far from ideal as a basis for negotiation. open image in gallery The impact of plastic production on the attainment, or otherwise, of climate goals is immense Will the final text indicate which polymers will be targeted, not merely for “reduction” in terms of the quantities produced, but actually for “elimination” due to their intrinsic hazard, leakage into the environment, and recyclability?