Island Nations Push for Stronger Plastic Pollution Treaty at South Korea Talks
Negotiators are meeting in Busan, South Korea, to finalize a global treaty aimed at tackling plastic pollution. South Korea’s environment minister, Kim Wan-sup, opened the session urging decisive action: “We must end plastic pollution before it ends us.”
Led by Norway and Rwanda, 66 countries and the EU are pushing for comprehensive measures targeting the design, production, consumption, and disposal of plastics. However, island nations like Micronesia are demanding more ambitious commitments to address the root causes of plastic waste, especially its growing production tied to fossil fuels.
Micronesia’s legal adviser, Dennis Clare, emphasized the need to confront the problem at its source, warning, “You can’t recycle your way out of this problem.” Island nations face disproportionate impacts, with waste from other countries washing up on their shores and significant contributions to climate change from the plastics industry.
Meanwhile, oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia and Russia advocate for focusing on recycling and waste management rather than limiting plastic production. These countries argue the current proposals fail to reflect the perspectives of many nations.
The U.S. and China, key players in the treaty’s success, have not fully aligned with either side. While Washington initially signaled support for production limits, reports suggest it may be retreating from this stance.
Concerns about corporate influence have also surfaced. Greenpeace revealed that members of the industry-led Alliance to End Plastic Waste, which includes major oil and chemical companies, have produced vastly more plastic than the group has cleaned up.
The talks are set to conclude on Saturday, with Ecuadorian diplomat Luis Vayas Valdivieso framing the challenge as “far more than drafting a treaty – it’s about humanity rising to meet an existential challenge.”
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