3-Mar-2022: Historic resolution on Plastic Pollution adopted by 175 countries at the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly

Addressing plastic pollution is recognized as a global environmental challenge. The resumed session of fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) held from 28th February 2022 to 2nd March 2022 in Nairobi, considered three draft resolutions to address plastic pollution. One of the draft resolutions under consideration was that of India. The draft resolution submitted by India called for immediate collective voluntary action by countries.

India engaged constructively with all member states in UNEA 5.2 to develop consensus on the resolution for driving global action on plastic pollution by setting up of an intergovernmental negotiating committee for a new international legally binding treaty.

On the insistence of India, the principle of national circumstances and capability while taking actions to address plastic pollution was included in the text of the resolution to allow developing countries follow their development trajectories.

India also stood for not mandating the inter-governmental negotiating committee with development of targets, definitions, formats and methodologies, at this stage, pre-judging the outcome of deliberations of the Committee. The provision for immediate collective voluntary actions by the countries was also included to address plastic pollution on urgent and continual basis.

After long protracted negotiations, the principal objectives of India’s draft resolution were sufficiently addressed in the resolution on “End plastic pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument” adopted in the resumed fifth session of UNEA, which concluded on 2nd March 2022. The UNEA 5.2 will be remembered for agreeing for collective global action while respecting national circumstances and capabilities.

Terming the adoption by 175 countries as historic, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav said that under the leadership of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, India has embarked on the journey to end plastic pollution by taking sound and effective measures through EPR on plastic packaging as well as putting a ban on single-use plastic items having low utility and high littering potential.

Under the resolution the Member States were called to continue and step up activities and adopt voluntary measures to combat plastic pollution, including measures related to sustainable consumption and production and, which may include circular economy approaches, and developing and implementing national action plans, while fostering international action and initiatives under respective national regulatory frameworks, and also on a voluntary basis to provide statistical information on environmentally sound management of plastic waste, as appropriate, taking into account their national circumstances.

The resolution requests the Executive Director to convene a forum in conjunction with the first session of intergovernmental negotiating committee, building upon existing initiatives, where appropriate, that is open to all stakeholders to exchange information and activities related to plastic pollution.

Earlier, India had piloted a resolution on addressing single use plastic product pollution in the fourth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) held in 2019, bringing global focus on the issue.

On the domestic front, the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change has put in place a ban on identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential. The Guidelines on Extended Producers Responsibility on plastic packaging have also been notified. The single use plastic ban coupled with extended producer responsibility guidelines provide legal framework for addressing plastic pollution.

16-Mar-2019: India pilots resolutions on Single-use Plastics and Sustainable Nitrogen management at UNEA-4

In a significant first, India piloted resolutions on two important global environment issues relating to Single-use Plastics and Sustainable Nitrogen management at the fourth session of United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) which was held in Nairobi from 11th to 15th March 2019.UNEA adopted both the resolutions with consensus. The theme of the UNEA this year was Innovative Solutions for environmental challenges and sustainable production and consumption.

The global nitrogen use efficiency is low, resulting in pollution by reactive nitrogen which threatens human health, eco system services, contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion. Only a small proportion of the plastics produced globally are recycled with most of it damaging the environment and aquatic bio-diversity. Both these are global challenges and the resolutions piloted by India at the UNEA are vital first steps towards addressing these issues and attracting focus of the global community.

India also hosted, in the High-Level Segment of UNEA, a session on “Global Partnerships: Key to Unlocking Resource Efficiency and Inclusive Green Economies”. The side event was attended by representatives of Member States, Civil Society Organizations, private sector organizations including leading financial institutions. The Side Event had a panel discussion which had High Level diplomatic participation from Germany, Brazil, South Africa and senior management of international financial institutions. The mainstreaming of resource efficiency and use of secondary raw materials through partnerships and action at scale is critical for moving towards green economy.

It emerged that collaborations and action at scale is key to success. The actions should be oriented towards having an inclusive green economy and blended finance will help in implementation whereas public finance should be provided to de-risk private finance in transformational projects.

The Indian delegation also participated in the panel discussion in High Level Segment on “Need for additional commitments of public finance and the ways to maximize mobilization of climate finance”.

It was highlighted that climate finance is an important lever for climate action related to both mitigation and adaption in the developing countries. The contributions to climate finance need to be in consonance with the basic principles of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC). Climate finance is more of an obligation of the developed countries, based on their historical emissions. The availability of sufficient, additional and predictable climate finance is a key for action.  Importantly, the lack of pledged funds in Green Climate Fund and the potential reliance on private sector has been highlighted by many developing countries. India has been initiating domestic climate actions, both related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, primarily through its own financial resources. There is a sense of urgency for financial support to developing countries, which have not been so responsible for these global environmental concerns.

11-Mar-2019: Fourth Session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4)

The fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) will take place from 11-15 March 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya, as agreed during UNEA-3 in December 2017 (UNEP/EA.3/L.2). By the same text, the Assembly decided that following the 2019 session, UNEA will convene during the last week each February, unless otherwise decided by UNEA. The President of UNEA-4 will be Estonia.

Under the overall theme, ‘Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Consumption and Production,’ UNEA-4 will address:

• environmental challenges related to poverty and natural resources management, including sustainable food systems, food security and halting biodiversity loss;
• life-cycle approaches to resource efficiency, energy, chemicals and waste management; and
• innovative sustainable business development at a time of rapid technological change.