Center For Coalfield Justice: Environmental Justice Communities Abandoned By Global Plastics Treaty Process

Two members of the Center for Coalfield Justice based in Washington County attended the negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty in South Korea as part of the Environmental Justice Delegation. 

Negotiations over the first legally binding UN treaty on plastic pollution collapsed in the final stage of discussions, after oil-producing nations led by Saudi Arabia and Russia blocked efforts by 100 countries to place limits on new production, according to the Financial Times.

The Center and six other groups released this statement on the treaty talks– 

In the final hours of negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty, member states were set to discuss a new Chair’s text, that, [if adopted,] will not only fail to support environmental justice and Indigenous communities, but will open the door to dangerous and costly false solutions. 

Despite UN [Environmental Assembly] Resolution 5/14, which carves out a pathway for “the widest participation possible,” observers experienced flagrant violations of participation. 

Each iteration of the draft weakened language that is essential to human health and fundamental human rights — a reflection of the petrochemical lobby that is bolstered by petro-states. 

Still, we saw unprecedented support from over 100 Member States who, for the first time, drew red lines on key issues such as production.

“The disingenuous and incessant refrains of ‘consensus’ and ‘inclusivity’ from the like-minded petro-states are insulting. They have successfully turned a mechanism designed to ensure that even quieter voices have a say in decision-making into a weapon to be wielded against anyone wanting to fight for impacted communities. The Chair should never have let the process get this close to the point-of-no-return, and I hope he and ambitious Member States will go to bat for the provisions we so badly need to see in the final draft of this treaty. Other multilateral negotiations show us that we can do this in a way that is inclusive but productive, and we need to do so in order to land an effective treaty here and now,” says Sarah Martik, Executive Director of Center for Coalfield Justice.

Click Here for the entire statement.

The Financial Times reported this round of talks will be extended to an undecided future date.

Visit the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution webpage for more information on the treaty process.

NewsClips:

-- Financial Times: UN Plastics Treaty Talks Fail After Oil Producers Block Output Limits

-- AP: Plastic Treaty Talks Draw To A Close With Production Limits Still Under Debate

[Posted: December 2, 2024]  PA Environment Digest