The fourth round of UN global plastics treaty negotiations end with some progress, but not enough to deliver the ambitious treaty the world needs in the allotted time if a vocal minority of oil-producing countries continue to undermine any attempt to discuss upstream measures that might threaten their profits. Sam Winton breaks down the options […]
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With the end of the fourth round of UN plastics treaty talks in sight, the focus is on forging each provision of the treaty, line by line and word by word, but progress is slow thanks to delaying tactics calculated avoid having to discuss upstream measures. Sam Winton explains why the devil isn’t just in […]
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At the UN plastic treaty talks, negotiation fatigue is beginning to set in, sub-groups are getting down down to the nitty-gritty of hammering out the provisions, and Japan plays a wildcard – but what would its “whole of society” approach mean in practice? Sam Winton provides an insider’s view of the issues that will decide […]
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On days two and three of talks, delegates clash over the merits of mandatory vs voluntary extended producer responsibility, and does the “full life cycle of plastic” refer to the full life cycle of plastic or just the downstream phase? Sam Winton explains how these issues hark back to established rivalries between high and low […]
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By the fourth set of negotiations, the opposing camps, their goals and tactics are well-established. Members arguing for a fossil-fuel friendly treaty reliant on national action plans and downstream measures ferment obfuscation and delay, while delegates seeking a high-ambition, enforceable treaty addressing every stage of the plastics cycle argue there is not a moment to […]
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As negotiations resume to build the first global, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, Sam Winton returns to provide on-the-spot insights throughout the week, uncovering the issues driving the debate in Ottawa and the sticking points that still stand in the way of progress. I have arrived in Ottawa ahead of the critical fourth session […]
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