Japan joins anti-plastic coalition ahead of Paris treaty talks, leaving US isolated

Source: Japan joins anti-plastic coalition ahead of Paris treaty talks, leaving US isolated

US isolated

The move leaves the USA as the only big wealthy country outside of the coalition as government negotiators gather for the second round of talks on setting up a treaty to tackle plastic pollution. Its official Jose Hernandez spoke as a guest at the HAC briefing.

While the USA and Saudi Arabia favour measures to encourage plastic recycling, the high-ambition coalition wants “binding provisions” to “restrain and reduce the production and consumption of primary plastic polymers”.

Hernandez said the US agrees with the Hac in several areas but did not mention reducing the production of plastic.

As the use of oil and gas to make electricity and power cars is forecast to decline, the oil and gas industry hopes that more of its product is turned into plastic.

Plastics are responsible for an estimated 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions through their lifecycle.

Plastics industry’s position

Joshua Baca is vice president of plastics at the American Chemistry Council (ACC), a trade association whose board includes representatives of oil and gas companies Shell and Total.

He said: “We continue to believe that an ambitious agreement that ends plastic pollution is the right approach. However, restricting the production of plastic materials essential to delivering clean water, renewable energy, and sanitary medical and personal care products is the wrong approach.”

Freedom of information requests from Unearthed and Climate Home News show close coordination between the ACC and the US’s plastics negotiators at the Environmental Protection Agency, including before the previous round of plastics treaty talks in Uruguay.