00:00Eric Lindebjørg is the World Wildlife Fund's International Global Plastics Policy Manager.
00:05Thank you very much indeed for joining us. Welcome back, Eric.
00:08So, very disappointing, no meaningful progress once again.
00:12What are the main sticking points, do you think?
00:16I think the main sticking point is probably that a few countries are not ready to accept any binding measures to stop plastic pollution.
00:29And are blocking a treaty from being adopted.
00:34It's the question of whether the treaty should also include the entire life cycle of plastics.
00:41And have direct measures such as bans and face-outs on the most problematic types of plastic products and materials.
00:50Now, we know that plastic is a big problem, but how much has it been worsening in the past years?
00:56Plastic pollution is one of the most rapidly growing and accelerating global environmental crises.
01:06We now see plastic pollution in all marine ecosystems on the planet.
01:10And we see it also rapidly affecting other environments, such as human bodies as well.
01:18So, we are about to be surrounded by plastics and living in a plastics world where microplastics and plastics is becoming a problem almost everywhere.
01:30And how do these talks now move forward?
01:32And where is anti-pollution leadership coming from?
01:35What gives a lot of hope, despite the huge disappointment yesterday, is indeed the leadership that is coming from all over the world.
01:47Latin American countries, African countries, small island developing states, Europe as a whole.
01:55Really pushing hard for a treaty, a strong and effective treaty on plastic pollution.
02:02And I think actually what we saw here in Geneva is that almost all countries in the world were ready to move ahead with that.
02:10Now, then the determining factor is, is there a readiness among that overwhelming majority to now move ahead with a treaty
02:20that might end up leaving behind a couple of those few who still want to block a deal.
02:26And what is the responsibility of the private sector, the active producers and consumers, the users of plastic?
02:34We need to reduce the unnecessary use of plastics.
02:38And as a consumer, you know, that's a good guidance.
02:42Try to use as little plastics as possible.
02:45And demand and support both the private sector and government in taking measures to reduce the use
02:51and phase out the types of plastics that we definitely don't need
02:58and that are only causing problems to the environment and to human health.
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