SOUTH AFRICA – The ambitious action against production and use of plastic has huge support across all countries, especially in the global south, a new study shows.
The study by Greenpeace International conducted between February 16-26, 2024 16 across 19 countries indicates overwhelming public backing for measures aimed at ending single-use plastics and promoting reuse-based solutions.
Greenpeace International in a press release on April 4 said the survey reveals consistent support for ambitious action on plastics across all countries, particularly in the developing countries, where plastic pollution levels are notably high.
A strong majority of people support these measures across all categories, including 60% of respondents who supported the exclusion of lobbyists from the fossil fuel and chemical industries from treaty negotiations, the statement said.
Globally, key findings from the survey showed that 82% of respondents support cutting the production of plastic to stop plastic pollution, and that 80% advocate protecting biodiversity and the climate by reducing plastics production.
Additionally, 90% of respondents endorsed transitioning away from single-use plastic packaging to reusable and refillable alternatives, while 75% of those interviewed support a ban on single-use plastic packaging.
Some 80% of respondents expressed concern about the health impacts of plastic on their loved ones, while 84% of parents surveyed expressed concern about the health impacts of plastic on their children.
The research was conducted by Census wide, from a sample of 19,088 members of the public.
These were in the UK, the US, Canada, India, Brazil, Egypt, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, China, UAE, Malaysia, Austria, and Norway.
GOVERNMENTS MUST ACT
The report was released ahead of the fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting for a Global Plastics Treaty in Ottawa, Canada from April 23 to 29.
Hellen Kahaso Dena, Pan African Plastic Project Lead for Greenpeace Africa said the people had spoken, and it is now upon leaders to listen and take action.
“Plastic is polluting throughout its entire lifecycle, from the moment it is extracted to its disposal. A strong Global Plastics Treaty must prioritise a reduction in plastic production to ultimately end the corporate addiction to single-use plastics,” Dena said.
She added that governments must be ready to show true leadership and prove that they are on the side of the people.
The research showed there is a significant disconnect between the level of public support for cutting plastic production and the position of their governments on the treaty in several countries.
“Greenpeace demands that the Global Plastics Treaty cuts total plastic production by at least 75% by 2040 to protect biodiversity and ensure that global temperatures stay below 1.5°C. Over 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels, and with production set to skyrocket, this will exacerbate the climate crisis,” it said.
Government ministers from 173 countries will gather at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, Canada for the INC4 conference to negotiate a legally binding Treaty.
The last negotiation meeting will happen in Busan, South Korea later in November.
The INC3 meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, last November ended in frustration as low-ambition countries derailed the negotiations, with the talks ending without a mandate to create a first draft of the treaty.
Instead, the meeting saw the Zero Draft reworked to add weaker options, resulting in a half-baked document.
Kenya is a global leader in fighting plastic pollution, and in 2017, it banned the manufacture, sale and use of single-use plastic bags.
In what is one of the strictest bans on the products, lawbreakers face fines and up to four years in jail
