France leads charge in UN talks to tackle global plastic pollution crisis
A final week-long round of talks on a treaty to end plastic pollution has opened in Busan, South Korea, with deep differences between nations emerging almost immediately. The ‘high ambition coalition' – which includes France – will be fighting for a legally binding framework that will definitively curtail global plastic production.
The final round of negotiations by the UN committee aimed at addressing plastic pollution got underway this Monday in the South Korean city of Busan, with representatives from 175 countries.
Their talks over the next week will focus on the urgent need to combat the escalating dangers posed by plastic production.
The meeting opened not long after a chaotic end to the Cop29 climate talks in Baku, which agreed to a boost in climate funding that developing countries slammed as insufficient.
Plastic pollution is so ubiquitous that it has even been found in clouds, the deepest ocean trenches and even human breastmilk.
And while almost everyone agrees it is a problem, there is less consensus on how to solve it.
Threshold surpassed
Among the most contentious issues are whether the treaty should cap plastic production, a possible ban on chemicals feared toxic to human health, and how to pay for implementation.
Researchers have warned that the global threshold for plastic and chemical pollution was surpassed in 2022, already highlighting the urgency of the situation.
Read more on RFI English
Read also:
What steps is France taking to tackle its plastic pollution?
Petrochemical industry joins global talks to agree plastic pollution treaty
Study reveals microplastics can enter human brain through nasal pathway
