Several Greenpeace environmental activists have assaulted a tanker that was preparing to load plastic chemicals in the port of Daesan, South Korea, to protest against the production of toxic plastics as negotiations on the UN Global Plastics Treaty enter. in a decisive phase, although in practical terms stagnant, in Busan.
Activists, from several countries such as Germany, Mexico and the United Kingdom, have demanded that governments face pressure from the petrochemical industry and “firmly” reduce plastic production.
The protest, in which tents were set up on the ship’s mast, took place on the Buena Alba ship, a 96-meter-long vessel that was preparing to load propylene, a chemical derived from used fossil fuels. in the manufacture of plastics.
“We are taking direct action here today – stopping this shipment of plastic – to urge world leaders to listen to the voices of the millions of people around the world, along with scientists and businesses, who are demanding that production be reduced of plastic to stop plastic pollution,” said Alex Wilson, a volunteer with the Greenpeace United Kingdom climbing team, through a statement collected by Europa Press.
The activist has detailed that while they are protesting, “petrochemical industry groups are in full action in Busan.” “They are using their power, money and access to try to ensure that the treaty does not do what it should do: turn off the tap on plastic production,” he said.
The incident occurs amid an analysis published by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), which reveals that more than 220 petrochemical lobbyists are present at the negotiations in Busan, the highest number recorded so far, according to Greenpeace.
Greenpeace has warned that despite growing concerns about plastic pollution, production continues to increase, which could consume up to 31 per cent of the global carbon budget needed to limit warming to 1.5°C.
For his part, the head of the Greenpeace delegation, Graham Forbes, has urged governments to make firm decisions at this critical moment, warning that a treaty without a commitment to reduce production would not solve the plastic crisis or the climate. Negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty conclude on December 1 in Busan, South Korea.
Stalled negotiations
At the same time, negotiations continue, although they are at a stalemate. Indeed, diplomats warned on Saturday that a majority of countries could abandon talks on the first global agreement against plastic pollution if a handful of delegations continue to resist on key points, particularly reducing production and phasing out substances. chemicals believed or known to harm human health.
More than 100 countries support these measures and insist that a treaty without them will not solve the pollution crisis. But about a dozen nations, mostly producers of fossil fuel-derived plastic precursors, are staunchly opposed.
As a result, just a day before talks are supposed to end, the draft text remains filled with opposing views and contradictory language. And the frustration is growing. “The overwhelming majority of delegates here demand an ambitious treaty,” said the head of the Panamanian delegation, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez. “If production is not reduced, there is no treaty (…) We cannot allow a few strong voices to derail the process,” he added.
A diplomat from the High Ambition Coalition, which brings together dozens of countries seeking a solid deal, echoed that sentiment. “We are a large group uniting around effective key elements and preparing to withdraw,” he told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door deliberations.
He warned that “some countries” were actively considering calling a vote, which would circumvent the UN’s traditional approach of agreement by consensus and could “raise a lot of eyebrows.” This is a possibility that is increasingly being discussed as a “last resort,” said JM Bope Bope Lapwong of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. «I think that if we cannot reach an agreement, we will be forced to go to a vote. “We cannot go all this way, all these kilometers, to fail,” he told AFP.
Observers have warned that calling a vote would be a risky strategy that could alienate even some countries in favor of a strong treaty. Another option would be for the diplomat presiding over the talks to simply approve a deal over the objections of a handful of holdouts, they said. But that also carries risks, potentially souring the remaining diplomatic process and jeopardizing the adoption of a treaty in the future.
“We don’t want to leave the United Nations framework,” said an official from the French Environment Ministry. “We hope to reach an agreement between now and tomorrow and that is the option we are focused on,” he added. “A lot can happen in 24 hours.”
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