India opposes plastic phase-out list

FOR the first time in the global plastics treaty negotiations, India openly opposed the inclusion of any global list with phaseout dates under the article on plastic products — a move that puts it squarely alongside Kuwait and the Like-Minded Group (LMG) of countries that includes Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran.

- S V KRISHNA CHAITANYA

Speaking at the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) in Geneva, Vir Vikram Yadav, Chairman of the Central Pollution Control Board and member of India’s delegation, warned that such provisions would have “larger implications in respect of the right to development of Member States” and should be avoided.

“The instrument needs to have clearly defined scope... Separate article on supply or any measures to regulate the production of primary plastic polymers has larger implications... Similarly, inclusion of any global list with phaseout dates under the article on plastic products should be avoided,” Yadav told the stocktake plenary.

India also reiterated that all decisions should be taken by consensus and that the treaty’s scope should focus strictly on “addressing plastic pollution only” as mandated by the 5/14 resolution, without overlapping with other multilateral bodies such as the WTO or WHO.