One hundred and seventy countries have pledged to “significantly reduce” the use of items such as plastic bags and straws by 2030. The pledge came after five days of talks with nearly 200 ministers at the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA) in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
The nations pledged to “address the damage to our ecosystems … including by significantly reducing single-use plastic products by 2030,” according to the summit’s final statement. The move will seek to curb the use of single-use plastic products such as bags, cups, cutlery and drinking straws.
An initial proposal by India to phase out single-use plastic by 2025 was backed by most nations, including European Union members, but it was opposed by the US and Saudi Arabia. Negotiators said the final text of the document was significantly weakened by the US.
“The environment is at a turning point. We don’t need verbose documents, we need concrete commitments,” said Siim Kiisler, the UN assembly president.
Some 500 billion disposable plastic bags are used worldwide each year, while one million plastic drink bottles are purchased every minute, the UN said.
Over 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans every year, threatening marine life and smothering reefs. A series of other commitments were also signed, including ones to reduce food wastage and to consult with indigenous populations over the development of new regulations. More than 4,700 delegates – including environment ministers, scientists and business figures – took part in the meeting.
