Swiss negotiator urges progress at Geneva plastics talks

Swiss official Felix Wertli is preparing the ground in Geneva for Environment Minister Albert Rösti, who will arrive next week. Keystone-SDA

Felix Wertli of the Federal Office of the Environment (FOEN) says a “change of pace” is needed at UN talks in Geneva towards an international agreement to combat plastic pollution.

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“Discussions are more precise and concise than at the previous round of negotiations in South Korea a few months ago,” Wertli told journalists on Friday. “But at the same time, they are still too slow,” he said. “There are always new proposals on the texts. We had hoped that this would be less the case.”

Ecuadorian ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, who is presiding the negotiations, is due to unveil a summary of suggestions by the more than 170 participating countries at a plenary session on Saturday. For the time being, reluctant producer countries are sticking to their guns, although “a lot of discussions are taking place to find solutions,” said Wertli.

“If we can gain political momentum, particularly on the part of the producer countries, it is possible to reach an effective agreement,” Wertli believes. But the most recalcitrant states, notably Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia, seem unwilling to budge, he explains. Another problem is that President Donald Trump’s administration has shifted the US towards the opposition camp.

Differences to be resolved

The issue of a target for reducing plastic production, which NGOs consider essential, has not been resolved. But “we are not aware of any delegation calling for production quotas in a future treaty”, said Wertli.

A national or international list of components to be banned is also divisive. On this issue, “dozens of countries support the proposals” which have been made, said Wertli, who heads the international affairs section at the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN).

A funding mechanism for developing countries is also being fiercely negotiated. “We are committed to ensuring that all countries that can afford to do so contribute,” Wertli said.

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Rösti expected on Wednesday

Wertli added that “we really need to make progress to prepare the ground for the ministers” – some of whom will be arriving on Tuesday for the final days of talks. Swiss Environment Minister Albert Rösti is expected in Geneva on Wednesday and Thursday.

In almost 25 years, plastic consumption more than doubled to some 500 million tonnes by 2024, of which almost 400 million tonnes end up as waste. If the situation is not stabilised, it will triple again by 2060, to over 1.2 billion tonnes. Waste will top one billion tonnes.

According to Greenpeace, Switzerland has the second highest proportion of people at risk. More than 10% of the population, or 973,000 people, live less than 10 km from a plastic production site.

Experts estimate the annual health costs associated with plastic pollution worldwide to be at least $1,500 billion.

Translated from French by DeepL/dos

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