India has opposed global phase-out lists for plastic products; whats it all about

New Delhi: There has been little headway in the plastics treaty negotiation being held in Geneva. India has openly dismissed the idea of including any global lists with phase-out dates in the article on plastic products. It has aligned itself with Kuwait and the Like-Minded Group (LMG) nations, which include Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Iran. It also opposed separate provisions on the supply of, or measures to regulate, primary polymers.

Nearly 190 countries have gathered for what is seen as a decisive round of negotiations aimed at securing a global treaty to end plastic pollution, including in the oceans. However, the talks seem to have hit a roadblock.

At the session, Vir Vikram Yadav, Chairman of the Central Pollution Control Board and a member of India’s delegation, warned that such provisions could have larger implications for the right to development of Member States and should be avoided.

He underlined that the treaty should focus only on tackling plastic pollution and must not overlap with existing multilateral environmental agreements or the mandates of bodies such as the WTO and WHO.

"Separate article on supply or any measure to regulate the production of primary plastic polymers has larger implications in respect of the right to development of member states. Such approaches should be avoided. Similarly, inclusion of any global list with phase out dates under the Article on plastic products should be avoided,” Yadav said as he read out India’s statement at the plenary.

The position of India reflects Kuwait’s appeal, on behalf of the Arab Group, for a "party-driven process” and Iran’s rejection of stand-alone texts on scope, supply, and exemptions. The bloc has resisted efforts to broaden the treaty’s mandate to include production caps or health-related provisions, pushing instead for member states to retain greater procedural control.

Earlier, India had supported production cuts in the previous meeting for plastics treaty in Busan. India has already enacted regulations banning single-use plastic items with high littering potential, including balloon sticks, cutlery, straws, and certain types of packaging. Annex Y of the plastics treaty’s draft text, which India is opposing, include single use straws, cutlery, carry bags, rinse-off cosmetics, personal care products containing microbeads that are listed for phase-out. Most of them are nationally banned. Some environment experts feel that India’s opposition to the list shows an inconsistent stance. Some believe that without an initial list, action on ending plastic pollution will be delayed for many years.

However, Yadav contends that the treaty should have provisions on technical and financial help, including technology transfer, to developing countries to prevent and reduce plastic pollution. "…a stand-alone dedicated multilateral fund providing financial resources to developing countries for meeting costs for their compliance obligations is required,” Yadav pointed out.

Add TV9 English As A Trusted Source

The LMG India has aligned itself with have been opposed, including measures in the treaty, to cut plastic production or restrict the use of chemicals of concern in manufacturing. While EU, Australia and Mexico have called for production cuts instead of plastic waste management, Kuwait has said that there can be no successful treaty without half of the world’s population...

According to UNEP, single-use plastics account for 36% of total plastic output across the globe, with 85% being mismanaged. The WWF says that global bans by 2028 could save governments $12 billion in waste management costs and reduce mismanagement-related costs by $2 trillion by 2040.