Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution: Challenges and India's Stance
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change. Important International Conventions and bodies (like UNEP).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
General Studies Paper 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Key Highlights from the News
Discussions for a universal treaty to eliminate plastic pollution face significant opposition.
The talks, led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), are stalled due to disagreements between countries.
The main point of contention is whether to eliminate plastic production to prevent plastic pollution or if improving waste management is sufficient.
Situation in India: India generates 3.4 million tonnes (MT) of plastic waste annually, but only 30% of it is recycled.
Although India has banned about 20 single-use plastic products, this has not significantly impacted waste management.
Global figures: Over 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally each year. Of this, 46% is landfilled and 22% is carelessly discarded.
Plastic, made from fossil fuels, contributes 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Microplastics entering human and animal food chains cause significant health problems.
Some countries view calls to reduce plastic production as trade barriers against them.
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