Here's What Young People Are Looking for from the INC-5.2 Talks on Plastic Pollution

Right now, in Geneva, countries are negotiating to establish the world’s first international treaty to combat plastic pollution during part two of the fifth session of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2). 

The day before negotiations were set to begin, youth stakeholders were already gathering in anticipation of launching their newly formalized, but long standing, coalition: the Youth Plastic Action Network (YPAN). 

YPAN represents the voice of children and youth on the plastics treaty, and they are aiming for high ambition.  Youth from all over the world sat down in Geneva for a half day of discussions on what they expect to see from the treaty and how they plan to influence the negotiations at this late stage. 

To prepare for this momentous meeting, the youth drafted a set of 10 policy priorities to be made on behalf of the hundreds of children and youth whom they consulted during the inter-sessional work. These ten priorities will form the basis of their advocacy throughout the negotiations over the next two weeks. 

YPAN’s ten priorities are:

1. Adopt a full lifecycle scope of plastics, from raw material extraction and polymer production to distribution, use, and end-of-life, including legacy pollution.
2. Reduce the production of primary plastic polymers by establishing binding global targets, while phasing out direct and indirect fossil fuel subsidies.
3. Eliminate chemicals of concern across the plastics lifecycle, while ensuring transparency in product composition and aligning with human health protections.
4. Embed human rights and intergenerational equity throughout the treaty, including in the operative text. The treaty must guarantee rights to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment; protect livelihoods; and ensure equitable transitions.
5. Recognize the irreversible impacts of plastic pollution on biodiversity and mandate nature-positive approaches that shift consumption and production systems to protect ecosystem services, food systems, and planetary health.
6. Ensure that treaty provisions are informed by independent scientific research and Indigenous knowledge systems, with clear safeguards against conflicts of interest.
7. Support the development and scaling of safe, scientifically vetted substitutes to plastics, including non-plastic solutions. Create paths for affordability and accessibility while enacting policies to prevent greenwashing and ensure environmental benefit.
8. Mandate eco-modulated Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks that require producers to take responsibility across the product lifecycle.
9. Build strong financial mechanisms for implementation and capacity building, apply the polluter pays principle, and restructure harmful subsidies.
10. Ensure that all stages of treaty development and implementation are inclusive and rights-based, while embedding transparency, accountability, and access in the governance structure. 

The August 4^th event kicked off with introductions from the leaders of the youth delegation, many of whom have been supporting these negotiations since the beginning. The stakeholders in attendance included youth, NGO staffers, international lawyers, and country delegates. 

The energy among the youth stakeholders in the room was hopeful, yet cautious in being overly optimistic. The youth delegation understands that the negotiations will be difficult, with different coalitions of countries holding very different views on issues like plastic production and chemicals of concern. 

“During the youth preparatory meeting, we discussed different scenarios of plastics governance, and all agreed that this treaty is an opportunity to address plastic pollution as a systemic issue and prompt a behavioural shift in plastic consumption."

 —Olga Skaredina, one of leaders of the new YPAN network. 

If a treaty is successfully signed, YPAN, which will be formally launched mid-way through the August negotiations, will continue to be active in the negotiations and implementation efforts that will result from the treaty. 

Youth voices should still be heard in the years of negotiation that follow the signing of a treaty such as this. The tenacity of these young people in advocating for an ambitious treaty is truly admirable and we look forward to following their actions over the coming weeks of intense negotiations and beyond.

If you’re a young person interested in learning more about policy and its impact or want to prepare for a career in sustainable development, IISD Next is currently recruiting a new group of participants for its Campus Workshop Series on Sustainability.