Nations gather in critical meeting to address escalating global crisis: 'The urgency is real'

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution resumed its work this August in Geneva, Switzerland, on a treaty aimed at addressing plastic pollution globally and with legal effect.

The Associated Press reported that this was the sixth meeting of the various representatives convened by the United Nations Environment Programme. It is also intended to be the last meeting, with the hope that decisions can be finalized by the close of the gathering on August 14, following an impasse at the end of 2024 — the original deadline to reach an agreement. 

Once the text of the treaty is approved, it will be shared for "consideration and adoption at a future Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries," according to the UNEP. Mongabay has reported that 184 countries and 619 organizations are involved in the negotiations.

While committee chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso said, "We are pretty sure nobody wants plastic pollution," per the AP, the group's journey to a detailed agreement has not been easy.

Countries and companies that produce plastic, which is primarily made from dirty fuels, have generally supported the establishment of recycling and waste management requirements. But advocates have been pushing for caps on plastic production and restrictions on the use of chemical substances, aiming to reduce pollution at the source. That's where some, like the United States delegation, have disagreed.

"We will never recycle our way out of this problem," said Graham Forbes of the Greenpeace delegation, per the AP.

Plastic pollution is a global crisis with the potential to affect everything from human health to vulnerable wildlife and the fragile ecosystems on which all living things rely.

Production reached new heights between 1970 and 1990, according to Ocean Generation. The material went mainstream in part due to cheaper manufacturing costs and versatile uses, inundating the market before many of its negative consequences — such as microplastics — became clear.

Now, even companies such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Walmart are on board with setting production limits in a global agreement, according to the AP, one that will "spare them the headaches of differing approaches in different countries."

While the world waits for a settled treaty, experts, advocates, and municipalities have taken on the challenge of confronting plastic pollution themselves. In places like Quezon City, Philippines, single-use plastics have been banned from city-owned buildings. In California, plastic shopping bags are set to be banned by 2026.

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"Plastic pollution is damaging ecosystems, polluting our oceans and rivers, threatening biodiversity, harming human health and unfairly impacting the most vulnerable," said Vayas Valdivieso. "The urgency is real."

While countries, companies, and concerned citizens await the conclusion of the committee meeting and the outcome when its proposed agreement is considered for adoption, there are steps individuals and communities can take.

On a personal level and in organized groups, choosing plastic-free alternatives can make a difference. Some easy ways to avoid plastic include bringing your own to-go boxes to restaurants, choosing reusable glass or stainless steel water bottles, and ditching plastic grocery bags.

Meanwhile, Angelique Pouponneau, the "lead ocean negotiator for 39 small island and low-lying coastal developing states," says, per the AP, that a global agreement is needed to effectively confront our massive plastics problem. Supporting officials who share this sentiment may be necessary to achieve successful large-scale coordination and enforcement of meaningful regulations.

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