When global representatives meet in Busan, South Korea later this month, it will be the world’s last chance to create a legally binding international treaty to reduce plastic pollution as part of a historic United Nations resolution adopted in March 2022.
But whether a coalition of “high-ambition” countries, including Canada, can get a meaningful treaty that phases out chemicals of concern and problematic plastics, and reduces plastic production — which many environmentalists see as key to reducing pollution — remains to be seen. The 64 “high ambition” countries are committed to reducing plastic pollution and eliminating waste by 2040 through a binding treaty.