WORLD LEADERS AGREE TO CREATE HISTORIC PLASTIC WASTE TREATY
Leaders from 173 countries have agreed to draw up a historic treaty to tackle the global plastic crisis .
The resolution , approved by world leaders , environment ministers and representatives at the UN environment assembly in Nairobi , Kenya , aims to develop a legally binding treaty to tackle the lifecycle of plastics .
Negotiations to finalise the terms of the agreement will take two years and will cover all aspects of plastic production , design , use and disposal . The treaty will also recognise indigenous peoples and waste pickers , a decision that will impact millions of people and has been described as ‘ ground-breaking ’ by NGOs . Waste pickers are low paid workers , primarily from developing nations , that forage for recyclable materials .
Environmental campaigners and NGOs say that an agreement that targets the plastic crisis is critical and have praised the decision , describing it as one of the most ambitious environmental actions since the 1989 Montreal Protocol . Campaigners have called for strict legal standards that ensure all nations fully commit and implement all of the agreements made .
The treaty will also include financial and techni-
cal support and will look to act against the massive issue of plastic pollution in the global south , most of which was produced by the northern hemisphere . According to the thinktank Planet Tracker , plastic consumption per capita is
2.5 times higher in developed nations than in developing countries .
Between 1950 and 2017 , it is estimated that 7 billion tonnes of plastic went to waste , most of which ended up in landfills and the ocean , causing irreversible damage to many ecosystems and contributing to the climate crisis .
Los líderes mundiales acuerdan crear un tratado histórico sobre los residuos plásticos
Líderes de 173 países han acordado elaborar un tratado histórico para hacer frente a la crisis mundial del plástico .
La resolución , aprobada por los líderes mundiales , los ministros de medio ambiente y los representantes en la asamblea de medio ambiente de la ONU en Nairobi ( Kenia ), tiene como objetivo desarrollar un tratado legalmente vinculante para abordar el ciclo de vida de los plásticos .
20 OTWO 33 / APRIL 2022