Showdown looms on plastic treaty days before deadline

Diplomats warned Friday of a looming showdown in negotiations to reach the world's first deal to curb plastic pollution, after a new draft text emerged littered with competing visions and ongoing disagreements.

With just two days of talks left, countries seeking an ambitious treaty urged delegations that "have not moved a centimetre" to make compromises or "get out of the way."

Panama's delegation head even warned that the UN's usual consensus process could be abandoned for a vote if progress stalled further.

"If there is not a full consensus and we can go to voting, one country, one vote, we're also looking forward to that option," said Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez.

Nearly 200 nations are in South Korea's Busan with the goal of sealing a landmark deal by Sunday, capping two years of negotiations.

But the latest draft text continues to reflect the faultline dividing a handful of mostly oil-producing states -- who supply the precursors for plastic production -- from a coalition grouping European, African, Latin American and Asian countries.

The text has eight possible definitions for plastic alone, and five options for the meaning of plastic pollution.

No text at all is proposed on "chemicals of concern" that are known or believed to be harmful to human health, and an article on health remains virtually bare, along with an option to scrap it altogether -- a request made earlier by Saudi Arabia.

It includes language proposed by Panama on production, which suggests countries agree a reduction target after the treaty is signed.

But it leaves open the option of deleting the article on supply entirely, a suggestion also previously made by Saudi Arabia.

There is growing frustration among some delegations, particularly small island states that are especially vulnerable to ocean plastic.

"The Gulf states want to protect their economy with the fossil fuels. What about us? Do we even mean anything?" asked Micronesia's Andrew Yatilman.

Panama's Monterrey said that if nations opposed to cutting production are "not willing to lead, please leave it to the rest of us and get out of the way".

Monterrey told AFP his focus was squarely on production cuts. "The battle will be based on defending that article," he said. "We are not here to negotiate a greenwashing and recycling treaty."

European diplomats echoed that sentiment. "Mopping the floor when the tap is open is useless," said the EU's Anthony Agotha.

In 2019, the world produced around 460 million tonnes of plastic -- a figure expected to triple by 2060, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Plastic pollution is so ubiquitous that it has been found in clouds, the deepest ocean trenches and even human breastmilk, raising growing concerns about its health impacts.

Other delegates sounded the alarm on the draft's lack of text on health issues and chemical components of plastic.

Fiji's representative warned there would be "no treaty without a provision on chemicals of concern." "This is a non-negotiable for us," said Sivendra Michael.

Time pressure is mounting on the delegates, some of whom are soon due to leave Busan for a climate meeting on desertification in Riyadh that begins on 2 December.

Environmental groups warned against accepting "the low level of ambition" in the draft.

Without strong measures "the treaty will fail," said Eirik Lindebjerg, global plastics policy lead at WWF.

Not everyone was similarly pessimistic.

The International Council of Chemical Associations, which groups global chemical and petrochemical industry bodies, welcomed "the progress made" in the latest text, which "moves us closer towards a legally binding plastics agreement."

However, the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, which represents multinationals including Nestle, warned the text was "too weak."

"This draft does not provide the certainty business is seeking," said spokeswoman Jodie Roussell.