by Geneva (AP) – Environmentalists and indigenous managers held in front of the United Nations buildings in Geneva on Tuesday, where discussions for a global agreement take place to end plastic pollution and ask the nations to show courage and agree to a strong contract.
Most came from organizations that are part of the break of plastic movements. They said they wanted their voices to be heard while the talks in Switzerland weaken. The nations create the first global, legally binding contract for the pollution of plastics.
“We have invested a lot into the distance from Geneva, apart from our communities, because we understand how important this is and how important this is,” said law, which comes from New Zealand and represented the Aotearoa plastic pollution alliance. “It is a unique plastic contract.”
They asked the delegates to coordinate the contract if the consensus cannot be reached and the process is paralyzed. Each nation must agree that a proposal is included in the contract.
The talks should complete on Thursday.
“So far the process has been broken,” said Brett Nadrich, spokesman for Break Free of Plastic. “Managers from civil society from all over the world speak together with the most affected with a uniform voice that we need to show courage, and not compromise, and to remedy the process.”
The head of Panama’s delegation to the talks, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez, cheered her on when he came by.
“We need that all over the world,” he told the Associated Press. “We need people outside of here to tell their countries that they speak out for what they stand for. Are they standing for them, their citizens or a large oil?”
The biggest problem is whether the contract should impose caps of the production of new plastic or focus on things such as better design, recycling and reuse. Panama helps to include plastic production in the contract.
“We will push to the end,” said Monterrey Gomez. “Because if there is no production, there is no contract.”
Most plastic are made from fossil fuels. Strong oil -producing nations are strongly against plastic production in the contract.
The momentum was increased for a proposal for an article to combat problematic plastic products, including disposable plastics and chemicals.
Camila Zepeda, who leads negotiations on this article for Mexico, said there is an understanding that there are harmful additives that are contained in plastics, and some plastics that are not essential for everyday life could be managed and finally switched off.
The meetings on Tuesday are “very intensive” because the negotiators work against the clock, said Zepeda.
“It’s slower progress,” she said. “But hopefully we still manage to achieve an agreement. I see an appetite to end here at Geneva and achieve a result.”
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