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Plastic Pollution
Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution failed to reach an agreement in Geneva on Friday. Nations were meeting for an 11th day at the United Nations office in Geneva to try to complete a landmark treaty to end the plastic pollution crisis. They remain deadlocked over whether the treaty should reduce exponential growth of plastic production and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. The negotiations at the UN hub were supposed to be the last round and produce the first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, including in the oceans. But just like at the meeting in South Korea last year, they're leaving without a treaty.
An international group of researchers and experts has launched an initiative aimed at tracking health impacts due to plastics, ahead of the final negotiations before the signing of the world's first treaty on regulating the chemical substances. Titled 'The Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics', the launch accompanies the release of a 'Health Policy', which is published in 'The Lancet' journal and a review of currently available evidence on how plastics -- including microplastics and plastic chemicals -- affect human health. The team of experts, including members of the United Nations (UN)-established Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, have authored the 'Health Policy' document. The 'UN Global Plastics Treaty' is a legally binding document aimed to regulate plastics through their life cycle from production to consumption to disposal. The second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee -- titled 'INC 5.2' -- is scheduled for August 5 to 14, 20
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday launched a 20-day intensive cleanliness drive across Delhi, promising a visible transformation in public spaces under the "triple-engine" government model. She also announced a ban on the use of single-use plastics in religious places, schools, and markets. The cleanliness campaign, which begins Friday, will focus on large-scale waste segregation, removal of encroachments, and strict daily monitoring. "Civic officials will be held accountable for areas falling under their jurisdictions. No garbage, debris or encroachment will be tolerated in public places," Gupta said at a press conference. The announcement came after a high-level meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena at Raj Niwas, attended by district magistrates, deputy commissioners, DCPs and senior officials from civic bodies. "All top officials, including DMs and DCPs, must visit their areas daily and submit compliance reports. Cameras will monitor every corner of the ...
The government is aiming completion of physical infrastructure at all nine plastic parks by end of 2025, according to Chemicals and Petrochemicals Secretary Nivedita Shukla Verma. The government has so far approved a total of 10 plastic parks under a central scheme that provides funding up to 50 per cent of the project cost, capped at Rs 40 crore per park. Currently, there is a stay order on one park in Tamil Nadu by National Green Tribunal. "The parks are in different stages of development. We are pushing for the completion of the physical infrastructure. By the end of this year, we want to complete the infrastructure in all nine parks," Verma told PTI. While physical infrastructure is advancing in many parks, operationalisation remains slow. Out of nine parks, 3-4 parks are partially operational that include Tamot (Madhya Pradesh), Paradeep (Odisha) and Tinsukia (Assam), she said. While the intention is try to complete the parks at the earliest, the secretary said it has taken a
Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution for a week in South Korea won't reach an agreement and plan to resume the talks next year. They are at an impasse over whether the treaty should reduce the total plastic on Earth and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. The negotiations in Busan, South Korea, were supposed to be the fifth and final round to produce the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including in the oceans, by the end of 2024. But with time running out early Monday, negotiators agreed to resume the talks next year. They don't yet have firm plans. More than 100 countries want the treaty to limit production as well as tackle cleanup and recycling, and many have said that is essential to address chemicals of concern. But for some plastic-producing and oil and gas countries, that crosses a red line. For any proposal to make it into the treaty, every nation must agree to it. So
India on Sunday said it did not support any measures to regulate the production of primary plastic polymers as it could impact the development rights of nations. This statement came as a global meeting in South Korea's Busan to finalise a legally binding treaty to combat plastic pollution ended without an agreement. At the closing plenary of the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, tasked with drafting the treaty, India said some suggestions from countries, including its own, were not reflected in the draft text. It sought assurances from the chair that countries would have the opportunity to include their views in future discussions. India's lead negotiator, Naresh Pal Gangwar, said the treaty's scope should focus solely on addressing plastic pollution and avoid overlaps with other international agreements or bodies. He requested that this clarity be reinstated in the draft text. "India would like to state its inability to support any measures to regulat
Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution for a week in South Korea won't reach an agreement and plan to resume the talks next year. They are at an impasse over whether the treaty should reduce the total plastic on Earth and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. The negotiations in Busan, South Korea, were supposed to be the fifth and final round, to produce the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including in the oceans, by the end of 2024. But with time running out early Monday, negotiators plan to resume the talks next year. More than 100 countries want the treaty to limit production as well as tackle cleanup and recycling, and many have said that is essential to address chemicals of concern. But for some plastic-producing and oil and gas countries, that crosses a red line. For any proposal to make it into the treaty, every nation must agree to it. Some countries sought to change the