OTTAWA — Canadian negotiators at the United Nations plastic pollution treaty talks in South Korea said Thursday they are working “around the clock” to finalize an agreement, though the process has been predictably difficult.
Negotiators from 177 countries are meeting in Busan for what is supposed to be the fifth and final round of negotiations to develop an international legally-binding treaty to end plastic waste by 2040.
Scientists estimate that more than 350 million tonnes of plastic are thrown out every year, with less than one-tenth ending up recycled, and more than one-fifth ending up in the environment where it is harmful to people and all forms of nature.
Canada was instrumental in bringing countries together to discuss a treaty, and hosted the last round of talks in Ottawa in April.
Officials with Environment and Climate Change Canada held a technical background briefing with media Thursday on the department’s work on the negotiations, though they weren’t explicit on whether a treaty could be reached by the time talks wrap up on Sunday.
Officials said there are divides between countries like Canada who want firm commitments, and others who prefer voluntary measures and a reduced scope.
The key in the final days, officials said, will be finding common ground with countries which aren’t as open to the idea of a legal agreement.
The parties are working toward having consensus in the language of a treaty, as opposed to having a text adopted by majority vote. Canadian officials say having consensus is the best chance at having all countries buy in to commitments to change.
“All week has been exceedingly frustrating because, basically, the non-ambition countries took the upper hand in negotiations,” said Karen Wirsig, the senior program manager on plastics with Environmental Defence — a Canadian environmental advocacy organization.
The group is one of more than 600 observer organizations attending the meetings in South Korea.
On Wednesday, Canada signed a resolution with 100 other countries to commit to future discussions on a global target to reduce plastic production to sustainable levels.
“So this is a very good move in what has otherwise been a very frustrating and slow round of negotiations,” Wirsig said, adding the proposal has become the “consensus proposal” for a number of different countries.
“Knowing that Canada would have some difficulties around agreeing to a hard production target, what we need in this agreement is a commitment from countries to a reduction in production of plastic and a commitment to going to a meeting after this agreement is signed to hear from experts about what a sustainable level of plastic production is.”