(Busan, South Korea - November 26, 2024) As UN negotiations for a global Plastics Treaty starts, activists from the Friends of the Earth International and Friends of the Earth South Korea (KFEM) mobilized a human formation urging a new treaty to end plastics pollution.
“We are united in our call for a strong treaty that tackles the plastic pollution crisis head on, demanding action that cuts plastic production at its very source. The urgency of the plastic issue can no longer be understated. Every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world's oceans, rivers, and lakes, choking ecosystems and communities,” said Hemantha Withanage, Chair of Friends of the Earth International.
For Atty. Mai Taqueban, executive director of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center - Friends of the Earth Philippines, the urgency for a new plastics treaty will help mitigate plastics pollution, noting that the lack of it can result in plastics contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
“With latest reports projecting the growth of plastics overproduction towards contributing 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, it is urgent for a Global Plastics Treaty to be passed to drastically curb plastics pollution. In particular, the Philippine government must champion an ambitious plastics treaty as we are drowning in climate change-aggravated floods worsened, among others, by almost a million tons of annually mismanaged plastic pollution,” said Taqueban.
The action took place on a beach near the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center wherein 500 activists formed a human sign, spelling out the words “End Plastic”. Around 175 governments are set to join the negotiations to finalize a new treaty to end plastic pollution, with the hopes of holding corporations accountable in the process.
Meanwhile, Hyein Yu of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement - Friends of the Earth South Korea, urged the South Korean government to consider a stronger position for the Plastics Treaty, noting of the country’s participation as the host for the negotiations.
"As the host of the INC-5 negotiations, South Korea must send a clear message to the international community: a legally binding plastics treaty is no longer optional, but necessary. The Korean government has a duty to exercise responsible leadership to ensure the successful conclusion of a strong treaty that covers the full life cycle of plastic and reduces plastic production," said Yu.
Ana Maria of the Salvadoran Center for Appropriate Technology - Friends of the Earth El Salvador, said that the call for a stronger plastics treaty has grown globally, making it a necessity to push for stronger policies, as industrialized nations exacerbate the problem, affecting poorer countries.
“Today's demonstration is part of a growing global movement, following other actions by Friends of the Earth groups worldwide. We’re sending a clear message: the world needs a treaty that confronts the full scale of the plastic crisis, addressing pollution at every stage, from the extraction of fossil fuels to production, packaging, distribution, and disposal. We’re spotlighting the millions of tonnes of plastic waste rich nations are offloading onto Global South countries, turning them into a dumping ground for the world's plastic problem,” Maria said.
The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5) began today, with affected communities and social and environmental movements determined to counter the influence of fossil fuel and corporate interests that could dilute the Treaty's effectiveness. ###
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