Since the historic adoption of a resolution to end plastic pollution at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) in 2022, the global community has been working on developing a global agreement for reducing plastic pollution. The International Negotiating Committee (INC) on to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution reconvenes in Geneva from August 5-14 for the second part of the fifth session (INC 5.2).
Norway played a key role in reaching agreement on the resolution at UNEA 5.2 and has continued to be a proponent for an ambitious agreement. At UNEA 5.2, Norway’s Espen Barth Eide, held the presidency for the historic resolution. Together with Rwanda, Norway also chairs a group of 70 countries in the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) to end plastic pollution. At INC 5 in Busan, the HAC formed the core of a group of around 130 countries calling for ambitious commitments in the agreement.
For Norway, reaching agreement on an effective treaty in Geneva is essential. Without effective global measures, research shows that we can expect an escalation in the levels of plastic pollution. A Nordic report “Towards Ending Plastic Pollution: 15 Global Policy Interventions for Systems Change” estimates a 60 percent increase in plastic production, an 85 percent increase in plastic pollution and a 60 percent increase in climate gas emissions from plastic production and waste management by 2040, compared to 2019 levels, under a business-as-usual scenario.
The negotiating parties did not reach agreement in Busan at the end of 2024 and the upcoming INC 5.2 is the last scheduled negotiating session. In today’s challenging geopolitical environment, it is increasingly important to show that the UN and the multilateral system can deliver a global solution to a global environmental problem. A global goal of ending plastic pollution would give direction for international efforts. The treaty should address the full life cycle of plastics, from production and consumption to waste management and clean-up. To achieve this, Norway is facilitating a dialogue on some of the more contentious articles in the draft treaty text. As we move towards the last negotiating session, there is an urgent need to find common ground and to agree on a treaty. In Geneva, the negotiations continues where they left off with the Chair’s text presented on December 1, 2024.
The session will take place in Palais des Nations from 5 August, preceded by regional consultations on August 4.
