(Ottawa) Uncertainty remains over the outcome of the fourth session of United Nations (UN) negotiations to eliminate plastic pollution by 2040 which is due to end in Ottawa on Monday evening. Canada hoped to move closer to a binding international treaty. However, there is still no consensus among the 175 participating countries on the question of imposing a cap on plastic production.
“We see some progress emerging, but there are a lot of uncertainties and the central issue, which is the reduction of plastic production, currently remains highly uncertain,” commented Greenpeace Canada spokesperson Patrick Bonin.
The organization wants negotiations in Ottawa to lead to “a legally binding objective of reducing plastic production” by at least 75% by 2040.
We get stuck on commas, there are countries that continue to block and those from whom we expect to see leadership like Canada are far from convincing and consistent in their position.
Patrick Bonin, spokesperson for Greenpeace Canada
Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault acknowledged in an interview with The Canadian Press on Friday that it will be difficult to obtain a cap on plastic production during these negotiations, even if Canada is not there. opposite.
“I don’t think we have done enough work collectively to be able to achieve this,” he said. “I don’t know how we could implement something like that. »
Canada is focusing more on banning single-use plastics and the circular economy, which consists of producing goods with fewer resources, then reusing, repairing and recycling them to reduce waste production. In Canada, only 9% of the 4 million tonnes of plastic waste were recycled in 2019, according to the federal Ministry of the Environment.
Activists from countries in the South warned on Monday against the concept of circular economy which is put forward by the industry and which will not solve the problem of plastic pollution, according to them. Angola’s negotiator, Santos Virgilio, however, said he was optimistic about a possible limit on production.
The countries of the South want to obtain a fund to enable them to manage the plastic pollution from the countries of the North which is sent to them.
There seems to be consensus on holding an intermediate negotiating session before the final conference planned in South Korea in November. This will be discussed during the last plenary scheduled for Monday evening.
With The Canadian Press