Table of Contents
THE CONTEXT: The Global Plastics Treaty, an ambitious international effort involving at least 175 United Nations member nations, aims to eliminate the use of harmful plastics. The treaty seeks to finalize a legal document by the end of 2024 to set timelines for countries to reduce plastic production, eliminate wasteful uses, ban harmful chemicals, and establish recycling targets. Despite the urgency and global consensus on the need for action, significant economic hurdles and disagreements among key nations pose challenges to reaching a final agreement.
ISSUES:
- Economic Concerns and Production Caps: Oil-producing and refining countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United States, Russia, India, and Iran, express reluctance towards setting hard deadlines for eliminating plastic production. These countries, heavily reliant on the petrochemical industry, are concerned about the economic impacts of stringent production caps.
- Timeline for Reduction Commitments: Nations differ in terms of reducing plastic production and using a timetable. A coalition of African countries, supported by several European nations, advocates for a target year around 2040 to ensure adequate reduction timelines. These highlights differing national priorities and capacities to handle plastic pollution.
- Decision-Making Process: There is a significant debate on whether decisions within the treaty should be made by consensus or by a voting process. The consensus approach would allow any country to veto proposals, potentially stalling progress. In contrast, a voting approach could streamline decision-making but might not equally reflect the interests of all nations.
- Legal and Financial Support for Developing Countries: Developing countries, including India, emphasize the need for a legally binding treaty that not only sets targets but also addresses the availability, accessibility, and affordability of alternatives to plastics. They call for arrangements for capacity building, technical assistance, technology transfer, and financial assistance, reflecting the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibility’.
- Enforcement and Compliance: Even with existing national policies, such as India’s ban on certain single-use plastics, enforcement remains uneven. This inconsistency underscores the challenges of implementing and complying with international agreements at the national level, significantly when economic interests and infrastructural capabilities vary widely across countries.
THE WAY FORWARD:
- Investment in Research and Development: Increase funding for developing sustainable, affordable alternatives to plastic. This includes biodegradable materials and innovations in packaging and product design.
- Subsidies and Incentives: Provide financial incentives for companies to develop and use alternative materials and for consumers to choose these over traditional plastics.
- Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR): Apply the CBDR principle from climate agreements to the plastics treaty. Wealthier nations should provide technical and financial assistance to developing countries to help them meet treaty obligations.
- Capacity Building: Establish programs for technology transfer and capacity building in less economically developed countries to enable them to implement sustainable waste management and recycling systems.
- Flexible Targets with Firm Commitments: Set legally binding targets for reducing plastic use and pollution but allow countries some flexibility in achieving these targets based on their economic and technological capabilities.
- Phased Implementation: Introduce phased deadlines for different levels of commitments, allowing countries time to adapt and transition away from reliance on plastics.
THE CONCLUSION:
The path to addressing global plastic pollution is fraught with economic, political, and technical challenges. As negotiations continue, the need for a robust, legally binding treaty that includes provisions for alternative solutions, financial assistance, and technology transfer becomes increasingly apparent. For the treaty to succeed, it must set ambitious targets and ensure equitable participation and support for developing nations, reflecting the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibility’ crucial in global environmental governance.
UPSC PAST YEAR QUESTIONS:
Q.1 Clean energy is the order of the day. Briefly describe India’s changing policy towards climate change in various international fora in the context of geopolitics. 2022
Q.2 What impediments exist in disposing of the vast quantities of discarded solid wastes continuously generated? How do we safely remove the toxic wastes accumulating in our habitable environment? 2018
MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION:
Q.1 Analyze the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibility’ in the context of the Global Plastics Treaty and discuss how this principle can be effectively implemented to address the concerns of developing nations like India.
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