Call for Ambitious UN Treaty on Plastics

Professor Richard Thompson, a marine pollution expert, has called on UN representatives to act decisively for an ambitious treaty on plastics. According to The Guardian, Thompson stressed the need to protect human health and the planet.

Talks in Geneva aim to bridge disagreements over restrictions on plastic production. Previous talks in Busan failed to reach an agreement. More than 100 countries support legally binding reductions in plastic production, while countries with large fossil fuel industries oppose the restrictions.

A new report warned of a 'plastic crisis' causing illnesses and deaths, with health-related damages amounting to $1.5 trillion annually. Plastic production has increased significantly and is expected to triple by 2060.

Thompson, who coined the term 'microplastics,' emphasized that plastic pollution contaminates the planet from the poles to the equator. If approved, a global treaty on plastics would be a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution.

Graham Forbes of Greenpeace stated that uncontrolled plastic production is a death sentence and called on leaders to resist the fossil fuel industry.