It is unblocked, after two days of tension, under the impetus of the major fossil fuel producing countries. Negotiations on a global treaty against plastic pollution finally got down to business on Wednesday in Paris.
From Monday until Friday, 175 countries have gathered in the French capital for the second of five negotiating sessions intended to draw up a legally binding treaty by the end of 2024. And ambitious enough to solve a rapidly growing plastics crisis, with production predicted to triple by 2060.
Saudi Arabia and several Gulf countries, producers of fossil fuels, as well as Russia, China, India and even Brazil refuse that the future treaty can be approved by a two-thirds majority vote if ever a consensus was not found at the end of the debates. Opposite, a majority of countries, fearing a blocking minority, believe that the question was settled during the previous session in Uruguay.
Saudi Arabia tries to buy time
“The major producing countries are on the defensive, somewhat similar to what we observe in the climate negotiations,” commented Li Shuo of Greenpeace, joined by AFP. With this difference that “African countries are here closer to ambitious countries” and “environmental activists”, because they “suffer from a lot of plastic pollution, but do not produce much”, he added. .
Saudi Arabia tried on Wednesday to raise further objections, but had the rug pulled from under it by the Mexican delegate: “All delegates, please stand and move on to contact groups ! “, urged Camila Zepeda, already standing and backpacking, to thunderous applause illustrating the impatience of the negotiators to make up for lost time.
Until Friday, countries will work behind closed doors in two groups. The discussions will start from a list of options synthesized by the Secretariat of the Negotiating Committee.