A global treaty to limit plastic pollution is within reach — will countries seize the moment?
Litter and plastic washed up on a beach in Co Cork. Only around 9% of plastic is ever recycled. The rest is landfilled, incinerated or ends up polluting the environment.
Representatives from 175 countries will gather in Geneva, Switzerland, in August for the final round of negotiations on a legally binding UN treaty to end plastic pollution. Non-governmental organisations, academics and industry lobbyists will also be in the room. They will all be hoping to influence what could be the world’s first truly global agreement on plastics.
The summit, known as “INC-5.2”, follows a failed attempt to reach agreement in Busan, South Korea, late last year. That meeting ended without resolving important issues, despite hopes that it would conclude the treaty process. Now, it’s crunch time in Geneva.
