VOA新闻杂志2023--Negotiators Meet in Kenya for Talks on Plastic Pollution

Negotiators Meet in Kenya for Talks on Plastic Pollution

A large group of international negotiators and United Nations representatives are meeting in Nairobi, Kenya this week. They aim to take the next step in creating a document that hopes to stop plastic pollution around the world.

The meeting is the third of an expected five gatherings¹ of what the UN calls an intergovernmental negotiating committee, or INC, under the UN Environment Programme. The final meeting will be late in 2024. By then, the UN hopes to have an agreement that will have the force of law in countries that agree to it. The agreement would limit plastic production and provide rules on how to throw away or recycle plastic products currently in use.

Kenya is one of the most restrictive countries in the world. In 2017, the East African nation banned the manufacture, sale and use of plastic bags that can be used only one time. Lawbreakers can face five years in jail and fines. In 2019, Kenya banned single-use plastics such as water bottles and drinking straws from being used in parks, forests, beaches and other protected natural areas.

Gap opens

The most recent meeting was held in Paris in June. There was disagreement over how the rules should affect oil-producing countries. Plastic is largely made from oil. However, the June meeting ended with an agreement to create an "initial treaty text" or an outline that will be refined this week.

Bjorn Beeler is with the International Pollutants² Elimination³ Network, a group of environmental nonprofits. He said the text is like a large food list at a restaurant - a menu. The job this week is for the negotiators to choose what they want for the treaty. He said the treaty will grow as those in Nairobi this week present their ideas.

Beeler's group hopes the document deals with bad chemicals used in the creation of plastics.

Kenya's president is William Ruto. He said the treaty will be the "first domino" in a move away from plastic. Dominos is a game in which the pieces connect to each other.

Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez is a permanent member of the UN from Peru. He is the head of the negotiating committee. He called the need to deal with the world's plastic pollution "urgent" and said the world needs to work together "to bring a difference at the scale required."

Two of the nations pushing an agreement are Norway and Rwanda. The nations released a statement earlier this month calling for an "ambitious" treaty that will protect human life and the environment. They are concerned about plastic pollution, plastic waste and greenhouse gas emissions⁴.

Saudi Arabia is among the countries that have large oil industries. The nations include Iran, China, and Russia. They want the treaty to center on plastic waste control and not reduce the creation of plastic products.

Activist⁵ concerns

Environmental activists⁶ are concerned that those countries will not cooperate. Graham Forbes is with Greenpeace. He said it was "unfortunate" that a "handful of governments" are putting the interests of chemical companies ahead of "the health of the planet and their own citizens."

Another climate activist is Erik Lindebjerg of the World Wildlife Fund based in Switzerland. He said the oil producing nations want to make the treaty a "loose voluntary agreement." He wants the agreement to be "a strong treaty."

Negotiators for the U.S. said the treaty should have "meaningful" terms but also leave room for differences between countries so that an agreement can be reached.

Chemical companies and oil companies such as ExxonMobil say they want the treaty to pay more attention to the lifespan of plastics instead of banning them.

Chris Jahn is a spokesman for the International Council of Chemical Associations. He said the group should center its talks on "ending plastic pollution, not plastic production."

Karen McKee of ExxonMobil noted⁷ improvements in the ability to recycle plastics at ExxonMobil's center in Baytown, Texas.

The meeting ends on Sunday. The next meeting of the INC is next April in Ottawa, Canada.

Words in This Story

recycle -v. to make something new from old parts or materials

bag -n. a container made of thin material such as paper or plastic

initial -adj. first or at the beginning

text -n. writing

scale -n. the level of size, amount, intensity⁸ or similar quality

ambitious -adj. having the desire for power, fame or success

loose -adj. not closely linked or attached

1 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

2 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

3 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

4 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

5 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。