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\u201cWe are choking on plastic,\u201d declared UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres, addressing a panel of international negotiators in Cali, Colombia. Tasked with creating a binding global agreement to tackle plastic pollution, the panel heard Mr. Guterres warn of the consequences of inaction.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach year, humanity produces over 460 million metric tonnes of plastic,\u201d he said. \u201cHalf of it is designed for single-use purposes \u2013 used once and tossed away. By 2050, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish.\u201d<\/p>\n
The push for an international agreement reflects rising public demand worldwide for concrete solutions to the plastic crisis.<\/p>\n
The current summit in Colombia is part of a series of negotiations, with a final round set for late November in Busan, South Korea. The urgency to reach an agreement by the end of 2024 was reinforced in the Pact for the Future, signed by UN Member States in September.<\/p>\n
Mr. Guterres praised Peru and Rwanda for their pivotal role in proposing a global solution at the UN Environment Assembly in 2022.<\/p>\n
The proposal acknowledged the devastating effects of plastic on both ecosystems and human health, a concern shared by communities globally. \u201cPlastic pollution is everywhere \u2013 all around us and even inside us \u2013 from our seas to our blood, to our brains,\u201d Mr. Guterres noted.<\/p>\n
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