AFTER days of negotiations, UN-brokered efforts for agreement on a new plastics treaty collapsed on Friday. The failure of what was meant to be the most important environmental treaty since the Paris Agreement is sad and terrifying, adversely affecting all people and our planet. At the very least, this dismal outcome should spark fresh conversations about plastic production and pollution, including in Pakistan.

The world is now producing 460 million tons of plastic each year (of which only nine per cent is recycled), and the OECD predicts that plastic use will triple by 2060. Calls to cap plastic production were rejected by oil-producing countries that hope to feed the global hunger for plastics (99pc of which are derived from fossil fuels) and reap profits in a world otherwise turning towards renewables and EVs. Other controversial topics included implementation finance for developing countries and more restrictions on the use of chemicals in plastic production.

Pakistan’s climate minister reportedly called for developed economies to stop treating countries like Pakistan as “junkyards” for plastic waste, demanding more green financing for emerging economies and proposing plastic credits.

Pakistan must remain a strong voice at international........

© Dawn