As world leaders engage in the fifth and final negotiations for a global treaty to end plastic pollution, climate enthusiasts have raised fears about the potential failure to secure a binding agreement, writes Yudaya Nangonzi.
The executive director of Bio Vision Africa, Geoffrey Kamese, who has been part of the global meetings has said that countries that are pushing for a treaty including Uganda have not yet reached a consensus on the matter.
"If the spirit that was in Canada (INC 4) is the same in Busan where people are failing to agree, the likelihood of getting a treaty is limited," Kamese said.
"The negotiations have been difficult, and have meant the opposite. There has been striking divergence over several points, and with that, the text has ballooned to incorporate numerous options that reflect disparate views."
Kamese raised the concerns during a multi-stakeholders meeting ahead of the fifth session of the Inter-governmental Negotiating Committee (INC5) on plastic pollution at Skyz Hotel in Naguru last week. The INC5 session which started on November 25 will end on December 1, 2024, at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center in South Korea.
Uganda is represented by officials from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) while climate organizations and activists will also be in attendance. The INC5 is focused on developing an international legally binding instrument to combat plastic pollution, including in-marine environment.
According to Kamese, the "like-minded group" of countries such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Iran with large fossil fuel industries are still stuck with waste management proposals.
"While those countries are in the minority, their views are echoed by numerous lobbyists for the petrochemical and plastics industry, who have attended each INC meeting in increasing numbers. Busan could be a strategic meeting place for them [lobbyists] once again because they are heavily paid yet African countries like Uganda don't have the resources to fund them."
At least 40 nations and regional groups including the EU, Fiji, Switzerland, and Nigeria have already signed a declaration dubbed "Bridge to Busan", calling for sustainable levels of production.
While the US recently changed its stance by not signing and now supports production cuts, Kamese said this is a significant move "because the US produces 17% of the World's plastic, behind only China, the largest manufacturer at 32%."
"The US's new position supports measures to reduce plastic production, which aligns with the "Bridge to Busan" initiative aimed at maintaining production targets within the treaty text. This change is expected to influence the final negotiations positively," he said.
The head of Policy and Advocacy at the World Wide Fund (WWF), Rita Kyategeka, said the international community ought to keep its promise to end the plastic crisis.
"INC-5 must be the moment our leaders decide on bold, binding global actions across the entire plastic lifecycle to protect nature and human health and put our planet on a path to recovery. If they fail to do so, they will be shrinking from their responsibility to the planet, citizens, and the long-term prosperity of societies, in favour of short-term gains and industry interests," Kyategeka said.
WWF identified four "Must Haves" that - as a starting point - states must secure at INC-5. These are; globalbans and phase-outs of harmful plastics, binding global product design requirements, aligned financial flows for systems change, and mechanisms to strengthen and adapt measures over time.
PLASTIC ALTERNATIVES
While in South Korea, the research and policy analyst at the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), Gilbert Kibekityo, advised Ugandan technocrats and dignitaries not to enter negotiations with "blanket proposals" to fully ban the use of plastics.
Instead, they should advocate for better plastic waste management practices and identify toxic plastics as opposed to calling for a fund and capacity building to eliminate plastics globally.
"In 2022, Canada banned single use of plastics but they overturned the ban in 2024 because it was not practicable. If developed countries like Canada are reviewing their laws on plastics, Uganda should think twice about plastics. Currently, plastics are not banned in most developed countries, why is Uganda appearing to be in a rush to support a ban at a global stage?" Kibekityo asked.
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Currently, UMA comprises more than 220 manufacturers of plastics. Of these, a few have come up with alternatives to plastics but their prices remain high. According to Kibekityo, UMA has now resorted to the formulation of Extended Producer Responsibility Organisations (EPROs) among manufacturers as part of plastic waste management.
So far, one EPRO in the beverage sector comprising companies such as Mukwano, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Harris International came together to pay for the collection of plastic in which they pack their drinks. This, he said, is a more practical approach to hold manufacturers accountable for the plastics being released to the public.
Meanwhile, once countries agree to a treaty by the end of the Busan meeting, it will be open for ratification by mid-2025.
