In South Korea, nations meet in final round to address global plastic crisis

Negotiators gathered in Busan, South Korea, on Monday in a final push to create a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution.

It's the fifth time the world's nations convene to craft a legally binding plastic pollution accord. In addition to the national delegations, representatives from the plastics industry, scientists and environmentalists have come to shape how the world tackles the surging problem.

“We must end plastic pollution before plastic pollution ends us,” Kim Wansup, South Korea's minister of environment, said during the opening session.

The planet is “ choking on plastic, ” according to the United Nations. It's polluting lakes, rivers, oceans and people's bodies.

“Don’t kick the can, or the plastic bottle, down the road," U.N. Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andersen said in a message aimed at negotiators.

This “is an issue about the intergenerational justice of those generations that will come after us and be living with all this garbage. We can solve this and we must get it done in Busan,” she said in an interview.

The previous four global meetings have revealed sharp differences in goals and interests. This week's talks go through Saturday.

Led by Norway and Rwanda, 66 countries plus the European Union say they want to address the total amount of plastic on Earth by controlling design, production, consumption and where plastic ends up. The delegation from the hard-hit island nation of Micronesia helped lead an effort to call more attention to "unsustainable” plastic production, called the Bridge to Busan. Island nations are grappling with vast amounts of other countries’ plastic waste washing up on their shores.

“We think it’s the heart of the treaty, to go upstream and to get to the problem at its source,” said Dennis Clare, legal advisor and plastics negotiator for Micronesia. “There’s a tagline, ‘You can’t recycle your way out of this problem.’”

Some plastic-producing and oil and gas countries, including Saudi Arabia, disagree. They vigorously oppose any limits on plastic manufacturing. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels. Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest exporter of primary polypropylene, a common type of plastic, accounting for an estimated 17% of exports last year, according to the Plastics Industry Association.

China, the United States and Germany led the global plastics trade by exports and imports in 2023, the association said.

The plastics industry has been advocating for a treaty focused on redesigning plastic products, recycling and reuse, sometimes referred to as “circularity.” Chris Jahn, International Council of Chemical Associations secretariat, said negotiators should focus on ending plastic waste in the environment, not plastic production, to get a deal. Many countries won’t join a treaty if it includes production caps, he said.

To continue to progress and grow as a global economy, there are going to be more plastics, Jahn added.

“So we should strive then to keep those plastics in the economy and out of the environment,” Jahn said.

The United States delegation at first said countries should develop their own plans to act, a position viewed as favoring industry. It changed its position this summer, saying the U.S. is open to considering global targets for reductions in plastic production.

Environmental groups accused the U.S. of backtracking as negotiations approached.

Center for Coalfield Justice executive director Sarah Martik said the United States is standing on the sidelines rather than leading, putting “their thumb on the scale throughout the entirety of the negotiations.” She hopes this does not derail other countries’ ambition.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a national strategy to prevent plastic pollution Thursday, but Martik said she thinks too many of the measures are voluntary to make a difference.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, of Oregon, said it's a mistake for the United States to settle for the lowest common denominator proposals, just to get some kind of agreement.

Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the committee chair from Ecuador, recently proposed text for sections where he thinks the delegations could agree.

The production and use of plastics globally is set to reach 736 million tons by 2040, up 70% from 2020, without policy changes, according to the intergovernmental Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Research published in Science this month found it is still possible to nearly end plastic pollution. The policies that make the most difference are: mandating new products be made with 40% post-consumer recycled plastic; limiting new plastic production to 2020 levels; investing significantly in plastic waste management, such as landfills and waste collection services and implementing a small fee on plastic packaging.

The treaty is the only way to solve plastic pollution at this scale, said Douglas McCauley, professor at UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley. McCauley co-led the research.

Margaret Spring, chief conservation and science officer for Monterey Bay Aquarium, said plastic pollution used to be considered largely a waste problem. Now it is widely viewed as an existential crisis that must be addressed, said Spring, who represents the International Science Council at the negotiations.

“I’ve never seen people’s understanding of this issue move as fast, given how complex the topic is,” she said. “It gives me hope that we can actually start moving the dial.”

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Environment activists shout slogans during a rally calling for a strong global plastics treaty ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution which set to be held in Busan from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1, in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Environment activists march during a rally calling for a strong global plastics treaty ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution which sets to be held from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1 in Busan, South Korea, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. A signs at center reads "Let's end plastic pollution." (Son Hyung-joo/Yonhap via AP)

An environment activist wearing a suit prepares for a rally calling for a strong global plastics treaty ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution which set to be held in Busan from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1, in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Environment activists prepare for a rally calling for a strong global plastics treaty ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution which sets to be held in Busan from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1, in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Environment activists perform a human sign calling for a strong global plastics treaty ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution which sets to be held from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1 on the beach in Busan, South Korea, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (Son Hyung-joo/Yonhap via AP)

Environment activists stage a rally calling for a strong global plastics treaty ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution which sets to be held from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1 in Busan, South Korea, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (Son Hyung-joo/Yonhap via AP)

Children attend a rally calling for a strong global plastics treaty ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution which sets to be held from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1 in Busan, South Korea, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (Son Hyung-joo/Yonhap via AP)

Environment activists shout slogans during a rally calling for a strong global plastics treaty ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution which sets to be held in Busan from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1, in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

FILE - A classic American car drives past garbage in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)

FILE - Indian rag pickers look for reusable material at a garbage dump filled with plastic and other waste material on the outskirts of Jammu, India, April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Channi Anand, File)

FILE - Garbage collected en route to Mount Everest is piled before it is sorted for recycling at a facility operated by Agni Ventures, an agency that manages recyclable waste, in Kathmandu, Nepal, June 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Sanjog Manandhar, File)

FILE - A pedestrian carries takeaway food in a plastic bag in Hong Kong, March 13, 2024.(AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File)

FILE - Recyclable collectors work at the Lixao open-air dump in Santo Antonio do Descoberto, Goias state, Brazil, June 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)

Environment activists stage a rally calling for a strong global plastics treaty ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution which sets to be held from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1 in Busan, South Korea, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (Son Hyung-joo/Yonhap via AP)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Thousands of revelers gathered alongside Copacabana beach for Rio de Janeiro’s annual pride parade on Sunday, many scantily dressed and covered in glitter.

Rainbow-colored flags, towels and fans abounded among the crowd mostly made up of young people who danced and sang along to music blaring from speakers.

While the atmosphere was festive, some spoke of the threat of violence LGBTQ+ people face in Brazil.

“As the sister of a trans woman, I’m scared to death,” said Helen Karajá, a 32-year-old bisexual artist.

At least 230 LGBTQ+ Brazilians were victims of violent deaths in 2023, according to the umbrella watchdog group Observatory of LGBTI+ deaths and violence in Brazil.

And more trans people — 100 — were murdered in Brazil last year than in any other country, according to Transgender Europe, a network of global non-profits that tracks the data.

To be sure, life for gay people is safer now than it used to be, said Carlos da Cunha, a 71-year-old hairdresser.

“In the past, people had to go to ghettos to meet people, because you couldn’t just be anywhere,” said da Cunha. “Now, we can walk down the street without being attacked, without being insulted or humiliated."

One of the themes of this year’s pride march was sustainability. “Environmental justice will only be possible with racial and social justice, gender equality and sexual diversity” read one banner attached to a truck.

Brazil has faced a series of environmental catastrophes this year, including record drought in the Amazon rainforest, floods in the southern Rio Grande do Sul state, and wildfires across the country.

“If we can’t respect the environment, how can we respect others?” said Alexia Soutinho, a 23-year-old student who identifies as pansexual and lives in the Cidade de Deus favela.

A performer poses for a photo during the 29th LGBTI+ Rio Pride Parade along Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A man performs during the 29th LGBTI+ Rio Pride Parade along Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A man performs during the 29th LGBTI+ Rio Pride Parade along Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

People dance during the 29th LGBTI+ Rio Pride Parade along Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A couple dressed as angels kiss during the 29th LGBTI+ Rio Pride Parade along Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

People celebrate the 29th LGBTI+ Rio Pride Parade along Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

People celebrate the 29th LGBTI+ Rio Pride Parade along Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

People dressed as angels perform during the 29th LGBTI+ Rio Pride Parade along Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A performer poses for a photo during the 29th LGBTI+ Rio Pride Parade along Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)