Climate Wire | International efforts to curb plastic pollution face resistance from China, Saudi Arabia and other countries that see promise in plastic as demand for oil, gas and coal dwindles.
The debate revolves around the terms of a future global agreement that could set limits on plastic production and consumption. Environmental activists scored a landmark victory last year when 175 countries agreed to a treaty to tackle the plastic problem that kills wildlife and causes climate change.
But the terms of that treaty are still a work in progress. International negotiators meet in Paris this week, the second of five UN-led talks scheduled over the next 18 months, and so far there has been significant progress. not
One obstacle is chemistry. Another is diplomacy.
Fossil fuels are the main raw materials for the petrochemicals used to make plastics. This is important because as the global economy moves away from oil, gas and coal, plastic could become a lifeline not only for fossil fuel companies, but also for fossil fuel producers such as Saudi Arabia.
The importance of oil in petrochemical production is so great that a 2018 report by the International Energy Agency found that petrochemicals are becoming the major driver of global oil demand ahead of transportation. It turns out. The report predicted that by 2030 petrochemicals will account for more than a third of oil demand growth.
The lucrative link between plastics and fossil fuels is influencing efforts to create a global treaty on plastic pollution, observers say.
Negotiations got off to a rocky start this week in Paris, where countries were divided over voting procedures even before the substance of the talks began.
“There is certainly a pattern of delaying negotiations among the major oil and gas and petrochemical producers, or those that are investing heavily or planning to develop their petrochemical industries. You can do it,” said David Azoulay, Director of Environmental Health. At the International Environmental Law Center.
A coalition of more than 50 countries calls for an end to plastic pollution by 2040 and binding regulations to limit or eliminate “unnecessary, avoidable or problematic plastics” and polymers. However, this group does not include important countries such as China, Saudi Arabia and the United States. It is the only advanced economy not to join this group.
Saudi Arabia’s proposal calls for “more effective waste management” with a focus on recycling technologies rather than limiting plastic production. State-owned oil producer Saudi Aramco said in a recent sustainability report that “the long-term risk of declining fuel demand is forcing more oil to go to chemicals.”
China has followed some of the proposals, calling for management measures focused on managing “collection, reuse and disposal of waste” that leaks into the environment.
The US has also called for more flexibility on mandatory standards, drawing criticism from some Democrats in Congress.
A State Department official said in an email that while the production cap “may be appropriate” for some countries, it “is not appropriate” for all, and U.S. officials said a future deal would be “too prescriptive.” No,” he said.
emission factors
How plastic is produced, engineered, and disposed of—all stages known as the life cycle—release greenhouse gases that warm plants.
Plastics accounted for 3.4% of global emissions in 2019, or 1.8 billion tons of greenhouse gases, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. About 90% of these emissions come from fossil fuel production and conversion.
These emissions will only increase as demand for plastics used in everything from packaging to clothing accelerates. UN Environment Program says plastic emissions from production, use and disposal could account for 15% of global emissions by 2050, meeting global climate goals if emissions aren’t cut elsewhere It is estimated that it will be difficult to
“In a nutshell, plastic is a fossil fuel,” says Fredrik Bauer, Director of Environment and Systems Research at Lund University in Sweden. “These are specially processed and refined forms of fossil fuels, which means that an enormous amount of energy is used to get to the shapes and forms of plastics as we know them. To do.”
A report Bauer co-authored last year found that emissions related to petrochemicals have doubled over the past 25 years, largely due to rising demand for plastics and fertilizers. A new report released last week by Lund University found that countries with large fossil fuel reserves are investing in expanding fossil fuel-based petrochemical production.
“While governments are stepping up to tackle climate change and signing the Global Plastic Pollution Initiative, the Middle East, China and the United States in particular are spending huge sums of money to expand production capacity in the petrochemical sector. Investments are being made,” he said.
U.S. officials say they want an ambitious deal but avoid restrictions.
The United States will “promote the sustainable production and consumption of plastics, make plastics more circular, [and] Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, Jose Fernandez, said in a speech last week.
But the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development has found that waste management and recycling alone are not enough to solve the problem. A report produced last year found that less than 10 percent of plastic waste was recycled in 2019, with nearly 50 percent ending up in landfills and 19 percent incinerated, a process that reduces plastic waste. are increasing in footprint over their lifetime.
Climate activists say any future plastics deal must include production limits and cannot continue to rely on fossil fuels.
Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, which is overseeing the talks, said in an interview. economist He said on Tuesday that recycling is important. “But we also understand that recycling alone will not get us out of this mess.”
She added that while it was “complicated” to get a global agreement to reduce plastic consumption, it was “well worth the effort.”
Reprinted from E&E News with permission of POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2023. E&E News provides important news for energy and environmental professionals.
