UN Countries to Create Treaty to Fight Plastic Pollution

Over 2000 delegates representing 175 countries at the fifth United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA-5) have passed a resolution “to end plastic pollution."

The summit produced results on Wednesday, March 3 the final day, approving an agreement to create the world's first-ever global plastic pollution treaty.

The resolution based on three initial draft resolutions from various nations, establishes an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), which will now be tasked with drafting and ratifying the mandate over the next two years.

The resolution recommends measures to tackle plastic production, which currently is slated to almost quadruple by 2050, and take up 10-13% of the global carbon budget, endangering climate.

NAIROBI, KENYA - 2022/02/28: Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) addresses delegates during day one of the UN environmental assembly 5 at the United Nations headquarters in Gigiri. (Photo by John Ochieng/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Pulse Live Kenya

The resolution, based on three initial draft resolutions from various nations, establishes an intergovernmental negotiating committee, which will begin work this year, with an expected legally binding agreement to be completed by 2024.

“Plastic pollution has grown into an epidemic. With today’s resolution we are officially on track for a cure,” said Espen Barth Eide, the president of Unea-5 and Norway’s minister for climate and the environment.

"Collective action is required to address plastic pollution & alternatives. Kenya supports the proposal of global agreement to tackle plastic pollution for building back better," said Cabinet Secretary of Environment and Forestry Keriako Tobiko.

A Global Plastics Treaty adhering to the blueprint laid out in Wednesday's mandate will join the Montreal Protocol and the Paris Climate Agreement as one of the most significant international environmental laws in world history.