OTTAWA,
ON, April 30, 2024 /CNW/ - The fourth session
of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) wrapped up
in Ottawa today, marking
significant progress in the development of a legally binding global
agreement to end plastic pollution by 2040. As the host country,
Canada played a pivotal role in
the progress made during this session, setting the stage for
international ambition and cooperation at the final negotiating
session (INC-5) in the Republic of Korea.
INC-4 brought together thousands of participants from 175
countries from governments, civil society, youth, industry, the
financial sector, subnational governments, and Indigenous partners.
Canada's delegation was led by the
Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate
Change, and by Parliamentary Secretary Julie Dabrusin. Canada's delegation included representatives
from National Indigenous Organizations, provinces and territories,
and Members of Parliament.
Canada worked with all
delegations to land a roadmap, capturing the important progress
made to strengthen consensus and bridge gaps among member states.
This roadmap includes an agreement for work to continue between
negotiating sessions on key topics, the adoption of a legal
drafting group, and active and ongoing contributions from
Indigenous peoples, civil society, academia, and business
representatives. The Ottawa Roadmap confirms there is momentum on
reaching a globally binding treaty by the end of the year.
Around the INC-4 events, Canada
continued to show that it is doing its part to tackle plastic
pollution, both at home and abroad. Minister Guilbeault announced a
number of domestic initiatives, including the creation of the
Federal Plastics Registry, a new tool to compel plastic producers
and other companies across the plastics value chain to help monitor
and track plastic from the time it is produced up to its end of
life. The Minister also announced over $3.3
million in funding to support Canadian businesses and
organizations that are developing innovative and targeted solutions
to advance Canada's zero plastic
waste agenda.
In addition to these important domestic announcements, Minister
Guilbeault, on behalf of the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of
International Development, announced that Canada would be providing $10 million in funding for the Global Plastic
Action Partnership to support the ongoing development of
partnerships in developing countries to tackle plastic pollution,
as well as $5 million for the Global
Program for the Blue Economy (PROBLUE) to reduce marine plastic
pollution, preserve marine biodiversity, promote sustainable
economic development, and foster gender equality in coastal
economies.
To ensure a diverse and inclusive INC-4, Canada and the World Wide Fund for Nature
co‑hosted a high-level Partnerships Day on Earth Day, April 22, and a ministerial session to identify
collective opportunities for ambition and galvanize momentum toward
successful negotiations. Canada
also hosted a Plastic Action Zone, from April 23 to 29, at the National Arts Centre in
Ottawa, which offered a public
space for partners and stakeholders to host events and share
actions, innovations, and experiences to help drive ambition and
prevent plastic waste and pollution throughout the life cycle of
plastics.
Canada looks forward to working
with the Republic of Korea and all nations, Indigenous peoples,
civil society, and industry to land a first-of-its kind global
plastics treaty in Busan this
December.
Quotes
"Canada is committed to
reaching a final negotiated agreement at INC-5 in the Republic of
Korea before year end. We are no longer talking about "if" we can
get there, but "how." It would mark one of the most significant
environmental decisions since the Paris Agreement and the
Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework. We are doing
everything we can to raise the international profile of the plastic
pollution crisis so that the agreement gets the global attention it
deserves to cross the finish line."
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and
Climate Change
"Excessive plastic waste is choking out biodiversity.
Canada is taking bold action and
making targeted investments to help address this issue in the most
vulnerable places in the world, where people depend on healthy
marine life and thriving ecosystems for their livelihood and
survival. As fellow citizens of this shared planet, we will not
stand by. Canada continues to work
with partners to reach local communities where help is needed most
and where global impacts will be seen for generations to come."
– The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International
Development
Quick facts
- In 2022, at the resumed fifth session of the United Nations
Environment Assembly, Canada and
all other United Nations member states agreed to establish the
Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee with the mandate to develop
a legally binding global agreement on plastic pollution by the end
of 2024.
- The fifth and final session of the Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5) will take place
in Busan, Republic of Korea, from
November 25 to December 1, 2024.
- At INC-4, Minister Guilbeault met with a number of key
counterparts from around the world, including Brazil, the European Commission, France, Germany, Ghana, Kenya,
the Republic of Korea, Rwanda,
Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Spain, and the United States. He also met with the
Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, the
President of World Wide Fund for Nature, and the Chair of the
Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee. The Minister also spoke
with National Indigenous Organizations, civil society leaders,
including environmental non-governmental organization leaders from
around the world and in Canada,
and his provincial counterpart from Quebec.
- Canada is a founding member of
the multi-stakeholder platform Global Plastic Action Partnership,
which uses biodiversity and gender evidence to inform
decision-making by government, businesses, and civil society. This
initiative is set to provide a pathway for greater economic
benefits for local populations in developing countries through a
circular economy.
- Canada's contribution to
PROBLUE will help implement the Global Biodiversity Framework by
promoting the sustainable use of marine resources while supporting
coastal economies in developing countries.
Related products
- Canada Brings the World Together in Pursuit of an Ambitious
Global Deal to End Plastic Pollution
- Call to Action – Host Country Alliance
- High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution Member States
Ministerial Joint Statement for INC-4
- Minister Guilbeault Issues Statement on High-Level Meeting as
INC-4 Begins
- The Government of Canada Requires Producers to Take More
Responsibility for the Plastic They Put on the Market
- Government of Canada Invests to Support Canadian Innovators to
Find Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution
Associated links
- Global Plastic Action Partnership
- Fifth Session (INC-5)
- Ocean Plastics Charter
- Canada's Zero Plastic Waste
Agenda
Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page
Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page
SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada