Negotiations on global plastic pollution treaty kick off in South Korea

International negotiations to draft the first-ever United Nations treaty on reducing plastic pollution began in the South Korean city of Busan on Monday. The final round of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution will run through December 1.

Two years ago, the committee endorsed a resolution at the UN Environment Assembly to lay the groundwork of a legally binding plastic regulation agreement by the end of 2024. One of the focal points is the scope of regulations on the production of plastic, which has been increasing.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development says global plastic waste generation more than doubled from 2000 to 2019 to 353 million tons. European Union and African countries are among those calling for introducing uniform regulations on plastic production.