Fight against plastic waste: UN negotiations on the crossroads in Busan!

Fight against plastic waste: UN negotiations on the crossroads in Busan!

In South Korea, members of Greenpeace entered a tanker on Saturday to protest against the spread of plastic waste. The tanker was just in the process of loading propylting, a raw material for plastic production. With the "Plastic kills" message on the ship's wall, the activists called for an international agreement to combat plastic pollution. This concern is currently particularly urgent, since the last negotiation round of a UN conference takes place in Busan, which focuses on the creation of binding rules for plastic reduction. More than 200 countries are represented to develop a global contract against plastic waste, such as ZDF reported .

negotiations under pressure

The negotiations aim to create a legally binding agreement that is intended to curb the global plastic production. However, the talks currently fail at crucial points, including reducing the production volume and creating guidelines to control chemicals harmful to health. According to vienna.at support more than 100 countries, including Germany, the introduction of strict measures. However, some oil -producing countries face these plans and block decisive points in the negotiations.

The pressure increases, because plastic production, which was around 460 million tons in 2019, could be tripled by 2060. The environmental consequences are also alarming; Plastic waste is already polluting oceans and water worldwide. Melanie Bergmann, marine ecologist of the Alfred Wegener Institute, expressed concerns that due to strong fossil industries due to lobby interests and the resistance of countries cannot be made enough progress to achieve an effective agreement. The concern about global plastic pollution and the lack of agreement create a tense atmosphere while the time is urgent to find a solution.