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illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Euronews or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Efforts to finalize a Global Plastics Treaty collapsed in Busan, South Korea, as nations failed to resolve critical issues around plastic production limits, toxic chemical restrictions, and funding
• Oil-rich countries, including Saudi Arabia, opposed production cuts, framing them as outside the treaty’s scope
• Some delegates and environmental organisations at the conference said the proposed document had become too watered down, and they would rather leave Busan without a treaty than with a weak one
🔭 The context: Plastic production has surged to 460 million tonnes annually and could increase by 70% by 2040 without intervention
• Since 2022, 175 nations have worked toward a legally binding treaty addressing the full lifecycle of plastics, aiming for completion by 2024
• At this year's talks, disagreements between high-ambition nations and plastic-producing states over production caps and consensus voting led to the breakdown
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Plastic pollution contributes to biodiversity loss, human health risks, and climate change
• Microplastics are found in human tissues, with links to fertility decline and diseases
• Without a strong treaty, unchecked plastic production could triple by 2050, consuming 20% of the remaining carbon budget
⏭️ What's next: Nations are expected to revisit production limits, chemical regulation, and treaty financing in upcoming negotiations
• Activists demand transparency and reforms to the consensus process, advocating for majority voting to prevent obstruction
• Countries like Panama and Rwanda pledge to push for a more ambitious treaty
💬 One quote: “We should be outraged that this one opportunity for a legally binding treaty that protects us has failed,” — Sian Sutherland, A Plastic Planet
📈 One stat: Global plastic production has increased 200-fold since 1950, with annual production reaching 460 million tonnes
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