Divided plastic pollution negotiators call for more time during talks for landmark treaty
Many countries meeting in South Korea had warned that a few nations were obstructing efforts to reach a global agreement on plastic pollution
Negotiators have failed to reach agreement on a landmark treaty to curb plastic pollution and need more time to continue discussions, the diplomat chairing the talks in South Korea said on Sunday.
Gathered in Busan for a week, they had faced tough debate on the last day of scheduled talks, as over 100 countries supported curbing production while a handful of oil-producing countries wanted to focus only on plastic waste.
The fifth and final UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting to yield a legally binding global treaty had been set to wrap up but chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso acknowledged late on Sunday that “a few critical issues still prevent us from reaching a comprehensive agreement”.
“These unresolved issues remain challenging and additional time will be needed to address them effectively,” he said.
“There is a general agreement to resume the current session at a later date to conclude our negotiations.”
A treaty could be the most significant deal relating to environmental protection as well as climate-warming emissions since the 2015 Paris Agreement.
