The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) concluded Monday morning, having reached an impasse on the finalization of a global treaty on plastic pollution. Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啓明), who has been following the negotiations, said at a press conference that Taiwan’s plastic reduction efforts will proceed regardless.
The negotiations saw thousands of representatives from nearly 200 countries meeting in Busan, South Korea to discuss the treaty, which is meant to set an international standard for controlling plastic production and reducing its health impacts. However, they were unable to reach a consensus due to pushback from oil industry representatives. Peng expressed his hope that the next INC meeting will be more successful.
In 2018, the Environment Ministry sought to ban plastic bags, tableware, cups, and straws by 2030. Despite the failure of this year’s INC session, Peng said that they will discuss new plastic reduction measures and goals based on the latest negotiations, which stipulated the ban of several other disposable plastic items in addition to the above list.
Environment Ministry Director-General Lai Ying-ying (賴瑩瑩) confirmed that, after reviewing the details of the negotiations, the ministry will review and update future plastic reduction targets and work with plastics industry leaders to develop solutions and reforms.