Momentum sagging at UN plastic pollution treaty talks

Talks on forging a landmark treaty to combat the scourge of plastic pollution were stumbling Saturday, with progress slow and countries wildly at odds on how far the proposed agreement should go.

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The negotiations, which opened on Tuesday, have four working days left to strike a legally-binding instrument that would tackle the growing problem choking the environment.

In a blunt midway assessment, talks chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso warned the 184 countries negotiating at the United Nations that they had to get shifting to get a deal.

“Progress made has not been sufficient,’ Mr Vayas told delegates.

“A real push to achieve our common goal is needed,’ the Ecuadoran diplomat said, adding that Thursday was not a just deadline but “a date by which we must deliver.

“Some articles still have unresolved issues and show little progress towards reaching a common understanding,” Mr Vayas lamented.

The key fracture is between countries that want to focus on waste management and others who want a more ambitious treaty that also cuts production and eliminates use of the most toxic chemicals.

And with the talks relying on finding consensus, it has become a game of brinkmanship.