The UN is confident it will achieve a "solid" and "long-lasting" plastics treaty.

Geneva, Aug 5 (EFE) - The executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Inger Andersen, expressed her hope that the negotiations for a treaty against plastic pollution, which resumed Tuesday in Geneva, will conclude on the 14th with a "solid" text "made to last."

"It must include clear foundations for whatever the future brings, and it must be built to last, not just for the present moment," Andersen emphasized at the press conference following the opening of the sixth round of negotiations, which have now lasted almost three years.

"The world wants and indeed needs a plastics treaty, because the resulting crisis is spiraling out of control," he said, stressing that such major environmental treaties must last "30 or 40 years."

The United Nations' top environmental official warned that plastic pollution "is in our nature, in our oceans, and even in our bodies," but at the same time, the production and waste derived from these materials are increasing at an unsustainable rate.

"We currently produce around 430 million tons annually, and a large portion of it ends up untreated and unmanaged in the environment. If we continue as usual, that production will triple, so a change is needed, and that's why we're here," the Dane added.

Geneva: Last chance to reach a treaty against plastic pollution?

Urgency and optimism from the negotiating committee

The negotiating committee, as in the three previous official meetings, is chaired by Ecuadorian diplomat Luis Vayas Valdivieso, who added, following Andersen, that "the creation of a legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution is one of the most urgent environmental priorities of our time."

At the same press conference, he expressed optimism about the progress of the talks, following a plenary session on Tuesday that he said concluded "very constructively, allowing negotiations to begin without delay."

"This sense of urgency and responsibility is exactly what this process requires. We now have a clear path ahead, and we must work together with determination, professionalism, and mutual respect," he added.

The main stumbling blocks in the current draft, which is still very provisional, appear to revolve around Article 6, which specifically addresses production limitations, and the list of chemical substances to be banned that should appear in Article 3.

Environmental NGOs are calling for the treaty to lead to a reduction of up to 75% in current plastic production, but this has met with opposition from oil-producing countries (such as Russia, the US, and the Gulf countries) and producers of products for which plastic is an important raw material, including emerging giants such as India, China, and Pakistan.

Asked about the impact a treaty that reduces production could have on economies like Pakistan's, Andersen said that Pakistan and other countries must also consider how deeply affected they could be by the impact of plastic on their environment.

"I visited Pakistan when it was devastated by floods, and debris, including plastic, was a huge part of the problem. That's why we're here, to find solutions. It's not about blindly believing anyone, but rather ensuring that the economic outlook continues to evolve and that the solutions are truly transformative," the UNEP director stated. EFE

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