Outcome remains unclear as final UN plastic treaty talks reaches halfway mark

By The Canadian Press on November 28, 2024.

Chair of the International Negotiating Committee, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, on the screen, speaks during the opening ceremony of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution in Busan, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Kang Sun-bae/Yonhap

OTTAWA – Canadian officials say negotiations on an international plastics treaty have been predictably difficult, with no indication yet on whether there will even be a treaty at all.

Negotiators from 177 countries are meeting in Busan, South Korea, for what is supposed to be the fifth and final round of talks to develop an international legally-binding treaty on plastic pollution.

Canada was instrumental in bringing countries together to discuss a treaty at all, and hosted the last round of talks in Ottawa in April.

In a technical briefing to media on Thursday, officials from Environment and Climate Change Canada weren’t explicit on whether a treaty could be reached by the time talks wrap up on Sunday.

They say there are divides between countries like Canada who want firm commitments, and others who prefer voluntary measures and a reduced scope.

On Wednesday Canada signed a resolution with 100 other countries to commit to future discussions on a global target to reduce plastic production to sustainable levels.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2024.