In March 2022, a global commitment was made to negotiate a comprehensive plastics treaty, addressing the entire life cycle of plastic. Now at the end of 2023, countries are still grappling with disagreements, particularly from "low-ambition" nations disputing fundamental terms like "plastics" and "life cycle." Despite some progress, such as increased support for tackling harmful additives, the recent third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC) ended in frustration. Negotiators now lack a formal work plan for the upcoming five months before the next discussions, and multiple advocacy groups express concerns about the significant delays, questioning the fulfilment of the promise to establish a robust, binding plastics treaty that the world urgently requires. Will the treaty succumb to inertia and eventual disaster, if no progress is made? We discuss this and more with Mageswari Sangaralingam, a Senior Research Officer from Sahabat Alam Malaysia, and the Consumers Association of Penang.


Image Credit: Shutterstock/aldarinho

In March 2022, a global commitment was made to negotiate a comprehensive plastics treaty, addressing the entire life cycle of plastic. Now at the end of 2023, countries are still grappling with disagreements, particularly from "low-ambition" nations disputing fundamental terms like "plastics" and "life cycle." Despite some progress, such as increased support for tackling harmful additives, the recent third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC) ended in frustration. Negotiators now lack a formal work plan for the upcoming five months before the next discussions, and multiple advocacy groups express concerns about the significant delays, questioning the fulfilment of the promise to establish a robust, binding plastics treaty that the world urgently requires. Will the treaty succumb to inertia and eventual disaster, if no progress is made? We discuss this and more with Mageswari Sangaralingam, a Senior Research Officer from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://foe-malaysia.org/">Sahabat Alam Malaysia</a>, and the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://consumer.org.my/">Consumers Association of Penang</a>. Image Credit: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/manila-philippines-august-23-2017-man-702230197">Shutterstock/aldarinho</a>

Climate change, ferocious weather and ‘the haze’ are now part our everyday lives. How are our lifestyles connected to them, and what can we do about it? What does the economy have to do with it? Earth Matters engages with activists and experts to explore our changing relationship with the planet that we only borrow from our children.

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