Key Negotiator Norway Sees ‘Positive Signals’ Ahead Of Plastic Talks

AFP/APP

New York: During the week when world leaders gathered for high-level talks at the UN in New York, nearly 100,000 water bottles’ worth of microplastics were detected in the city’s air, highlighting the known and unknown risks to human health.

Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Norway’s international development minister and a key advocate for a global plastics treaty set to be discussed in South Korea later this year, noted, “While we often focus on plastic pollution in marine environments, it’s a pervasive issue everywhere.”

The treaty aims to unify international efforts to address plastic waste affecting ecosystems from oceans to mountains. Some nations are advocating for limits on plastic production, while oil- and gas-rich countries, which supply the raw materials for plastic, are emphasizing recycling efforts.

Despite multiple discussions, progress has been slow, and time is tight to reach an agreement before the crucial session in Busan starting November 25. However, Tvinnereim expressed increased optimism, citing encouraging developments from various countries, including the U.S., which may be open to capping new plastic production.

She also highlighted a recent strong statement from the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution (HAC), a group of over 60 countries and the EU that collectively represent the majority of global plastic consumption.

Co-chaired by Norway and Rwanda, the coalition reiterated its commitment to binding measures aimed at reducing plastic production and consumption and phasing out harmful polymers, a move praised by conservation organization WWF.

Tvinnereim emphasized, “We cannot allow the interests of a few to derail the entire agreement,” as she prepared for a ministerial meeting that included all countries.