In a major policy shift, the Biden administration announced during two closed-door meetings this week that U.S. negotiators would support limiting plastic production as part of a global U.N. plastics treaty.
The news is First reported by Reuters The State Department confirmed the move to Grist on Thursday, marking a major shift for the U.S., which has so far rejected production limits and instead focused its approach on increasing recycling rates and eliminating plastic waste.
The industry group said:IncorrectEnvironmental groups said the bill could tip the tide in favor of production limits at a crucial stage in the negotiations, with just one more conference left before the treaty is due to be finalized in 2025.
“This announcement couldn’t come at a better time,” said Christina Dixon, oceans campaign lead at the nonprofit Environmental Research Institute. “The U.S. position has been a big unknown until now, but they have the ability to be a constructive and collaborative player, so it’s a relief to see them step out at this critical time.”
Negotiations on the treaty have been ongoing since March 2022, when the UN reached a landmark agreement to “end plastic pollution.” But progress has been slow in the four negotiating sessions since then, largely due to disagreements over the scope of the treaty.
The coalition of so-called “High Ambition” countries, backed by many scientists and environmental groups, argues that the treaty must stop plastic being produced in the first place. 460 million tonnes Most of what is produced every year in the world is made from fossil fuels. 9 percent is recycledBecause the production, use and disposal of plastics contribute to climate change, experts from the nonprofit group Pacific Environment concluded that the treaty would need to cut plastic production by 75% by 2040 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).
of A high-minded coalition They also support specific bans or restrictions on the most problematic types of plastics (which are usually the least likely to be recycled) and on hazardous chemicals that are often used in plastic products. The coalition includes Canada, Norway, Peru, Rwanda, the UK and more than 60 other countries.
Oil-producing nations including Saudi Arabia, Russia and China, backed by industry groups, oppose such measures. They want the treaty to focus on managing plastic waste rather than affecting production, and the United States was one of them until this week.
According to Reuters, the US now says it supports limiting plastic production, as well as creating a list of problematic plastics and hazardous chemicals.
Photo credit: IISD/ENB/Chiara Worth
Because the United States has great influence in treaty negotiations, North America It produces one-fifth of the world’s plastic Dixon said the White House’s new position would be a “welcome signal to neutral countries” that could encourage them to join a more ambitious coalition.
“Hopefully, this will only further isolate the few countries that are unwilling to comply with the necessary binding regulations on their plastic supplies.”
Industry groups reacted less favorably to the news.
Chris Jahn, president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council, a plastics and petrochemical industry group. statement The United States is a “cave[d] He said the White House’s new stance was a betrayal of American manufacturers, would cut jobs, damage the environment and drive up global commodity prices.
“If the Biden-Harris Administration wants to achieve its sustainable development and climate goals, the world needs to increase its reliance on plastics, not decrease,” he said, citing plastics’ usefulness in renewable energy infrastructure, improving the energy efficiency of buildings and reducing food waste.
Almost 40 percent of the world’s plastic production is used in disposable products such as packaging and food service products.
Matt Seaholm, president and CEO of the Plastics Industry Association, echoed Jahn’s sentiments. statementHe said the White House had “turned its back on the American people whose livelihoods depend on our industry.”
He added that a U.S. reversal would weaken its influence in the treaty negotiations: “As other countries know, this extreme position will not be supported in the U.S. Senate.” The Senate must approve the treaty before the U.S. can ratify it.
Despite the industry’s anger, opinion polls suggest there is broad support among the public for ambitious policies to tackle the plastic crisis. Recent Opinion Polls According to the nonprofit National Resources Defense Council, roughly 90 percent of Americans support measures to reduce plastic production. 83 percent specifically support limiting plastic production as part of an international treaty, and even more support treaty provisions that would eliminate “unnecessary and avoidable plastic products” and toxic chemicals.
Reducing plastic production “is something the American people want,” said Anja Brandon, director of U.S. plastics policy at the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy. statementShe cited additional polling by her organization. 78 percent of Americans He believes marine plastic pollution is an “urgent problem.”
Brandon and other environmentalists say they are excited to see how the U.S.’s new position will shape future conservation efforts. Final round of plastics treaty negotiationsThe “Bridge to BusanThis is a declaration submitted by a group of countries in April last year, calling on negotiating partners to “commit to achieving sustainable production levels of primary plastic polymers” through “a production freeze at a specified level, a production reduction against an agreed baseline, or other agreed constraints.”
“I’m cautiously optimistic,” Julie Teal Simmons, a senior attorney at the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. “I look forward to seeing the U.S. delegation make this case at the upcoming plastics treaty negotiations in South Korea.”
