Plastics treaty talks in Paris- round 2 - kick off

The first day into the second round of the UN Treaty negotiations (INC-2) has come to a close.  Looking back at it – and at a weekend packed with pre-meetings – I can say it has been full of surprises already.

My day started with a strategy meeting with the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty. As an advisor to the Business Coalition, I was well aware of the high ambitions the front-running members had expressed together beforehand and how these were actually not that different from those stated by the 56 countries unified through the High Ambition Coalition. What I didn’t know is that the Business Coalition had grown to over >100 members from different parts of the world - and its numbers still continue to rise.
My main objective for the week is to get more countries and companies to understand the content and ‘how to’ of vital topics in preventing plastic pollution, such as EPR, reuse & financial mechanisms. At least the major FMCG companies here in Paris seem to increasingly understand the urgent need to set clear rules and create a level playing field. This will enable more collaboration and further needed investments.

Next, it was time for the official opening. I had a few moments to catch up with some of the delegates from countries I have been active in, and then I managed to get a great view of the opening speeches. President Macron of France kicked off, with a statement that ‘plastic pollution is a ticking time bomb and a plague that has already commenced’. For someone who typically hears different rhetoric in plastics conferences, it was a surprise to hear such outspoken language from a leading politician. He stressed that the current plastic pollution crisis requires firm action and that the ambitious countries agree we must end plastic pollution by 2040 at the latest.

For me, this echoes my own ideas on how we will have to invent new ways of producing and consuming, including through reuse. It means that collecting, separating, recycling, and reusing will need to be drastically improved and, as such, yield decent jobs and wealth, also for those in marginalised communities.

It was then the turn of Inger Anderson from UN Environmental Programme to drive the message home and to push for a number of fundamental objectives, including:

• Curbing the production of new plastics
• Banning the most polluting products
• Redesigning plastics to use less plastic or no plastic at all

While these are obviously all measures designed to reduce the stress on the recycling system, she also commented on the true pricing of virgin resources. What also surprised me: a genuine call on the private sector to get involved now - preventing plastic pollution is a profitable strategy, and companies need to start innovating now.
After this high came a bit of low: the rest of the plenary was, to my dismay, filled with procedural delays. It was great to see how the rest of the observers made themselves useful in the meantime, initiating discussions on the content – and how this should be worded in a legally binding Treaty. I cannot wait to help prepare a zero draft agreement for the negotiations, and comment both to the UN Environmental Programme and to the Business Coalition, on how to advance.
For those who would like to get involved to end plastic pollution, I encourage you to join efforts and be bold.