More than 4,000 people from around the world have gathered in Ottawa for the fourth round of negotiations on a Global Plastics Treaty and the urgency of reducing plastic pollution cannot be underestimated. The world is facing the devastating effects of plastic pollution, waste and toxicity, including its terrible contribution to the climate crisis.
But to tackle plastic pollution, we must first reduce plastic. production. While Canada has committed to ending plastic pollutionThe inconvenient truth remains: plastic production not only continues but expands, fueled by government subsidies.
As the host country for these negotiations, Canada faces a critical choice: will it follow through on its commitment to ending plastic pollution or succumb to pressures from the oil and gas industry, sacrificing the health of its citizens and the planet for greed? corporate?
He subsidies – who support oil drilling, pipelines and plastic production plants – to oil, gas and petrochemical giants like Nova Chemicals, Dow Chemical and Brookfield paint a bleak picture of government involvement in perpetuating the plastic crisis.
Due to the enormous failure of recycling, at the center of the Ottawa negotiations is the need to reduce plastic production to allow for solutions throughout the entire life cycle. It is not just about managing waste or improving recycling, but about addressing the root causes of the crisis. This means addressing the impact of the life cycle of plastic, which disproportionately affects the communities near where it is produced and the environments from which its raw materials are extracted.
As Canada navigates its role in the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, it must confront the stark realities facing indigenous and marginalized communities.
In Canada, indigenous, black and other marginalized communities bear the brunt, facing increased risks of cancer, water pollution and toxic air emissions due to the production, use and disposal of plastic. Frightfully, More than 90 per cent of plastic waste in Canada. ends up in landfills or the natural environment, often near low-income communities, exacerbating existing health disparities, hence the need for bills like C-226 on prevention and fight against environmental racism.
The Aamjiwnaang First Nation in southern Ontario exemplifies the devastating consequences of proximity to plastic production plants. Situated in “chemical valley“Communities are subject to alarming levels of benzene, a dangerous chemical byproduct of petrochemical processing. Air quality reports. reveal benzene concentrations up to 100 times higher than those found in major Canadian cities. Similarly, in Nova Scotia, African Nova Scotian and Mi’kmaw communities face disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards, including plastic waste sites, leading to elevated rates of cancer and respiratory diseases.
The negotiations in Ottawa present a critical opportunity for change, but they must be inclusive, especially of those most affected by the plastics crisis. while at least 143 chemical and fossil fuel industry lobbyists registered for the latest round of negotiations, indigenous community leaders, waste pickers and frontline groups found themselves marginalized. It is a testament to the disproportionate influence of corporate interests in shaping policy. This begs the question: How many chemical and fossil fuel industry lobbyists will have invaded this round of negotiations in Ottawa?
Since 75 percent of emissions occur during plastic production, it could consume almost a fifth of the Earth’s remaining carbon budget by 2050, writes @SenRosaGalvez #INC4 #PlasticsTreaty #ClimateEmergency #HumanRights
The urgency of acting towards an effective treaty is underlined by recent findings from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which unequivocally link plastic production to the climate crisis. Plastics are not just a nuisance: current production levels are unsustainable and pose a threat to our own survival. Given that 75 percent of emissions occur during plastic production, if we continue on this trajectory, it could consume almost a fifth of Earth’s remaining carbon budget by 2050.
To ensure an effective treaty, we must address the full life cycle of plastic, focusing on the urgent need to limit the extraction of raw materials needed to make plastics. This means limit polymer production, stop the expansion of new plastic production infrastructure, eliminate the most problematic polymers and plastic products, and demand the disclosure and elimination of dangerous chemicals. Recycling alone cannot solve the plastic crisis; we must fundamentally change our approach to production.
Our goal must be to produce no more plastic than absolutely necessary, ensuring that any replacement meets strict sustainability criteria. At home, the Canadian government needs to expand bans on single-use plastic and end subsidies for the production of oil and gas, petrochemicals and plastics free from the influence of vested interests. We cannot afford to carry on as usual, there is simply too much at stake.
As delegates from around the world gather in Ottawa with the hopes and aspirations of millions of people around the world, they must choose courage over complacency and action over appeasement. The decisions made in Ottawa will impact generations to come.
Canada and the world need a Global Plastics Treaty that addresses the entire life cycle of plastic (from raw material extraction to production and disposal) and prioritizes the health and well-being of our planet and all people, above corporate greed. To achieve this, the world needs to look back to the upstream parts of the supply chain where we can effectively ensure an end to plastic pollution. Only through collective action can we begin to mitigate the environmental injustices perpetuated by the plastics industry.
The time to act is now and the world is watching.
The Hon. Rosa Gálvez is a civil environmental engineer, associate professor at Laval University and independent senator for the province of Quebec.