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Pakistan is among the top-ten climate change vulnerable country. Global warming needs to be controlled, and a desirable target in this regard globally is considered to be 1.5°C, beyond which the existential threat of climate change is likely to produce irreversible consequences in terms of more frequent, and more intense climate change related natural disasters.

While island nations are threatened in terms of virtual or climate submersion into seas, one-third of Pakistan got submerged into water after catastrophic climate change related flooding in 2022.

One important factor that needs to be dealt with effectively – both globally and nationally – and which significantly contributes to climate change crisis, is the production and use of plastics. This is because it is produced through the use of fossil fuel, burning of which in the process contributes to global warming.

In addition, plastic is seriously problematic in terms of sustainably managing waste, and also dangerously impacts marine life. A United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) visual feature ‘Our planet is choking on plastic’ pointed out ‘…some 98 per cent of single-use plastic products are produced from fossil fuel, or “virgin” feedstock. The level of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production, use and disposal of conventional fossil fuel-based plastics is forecast to grow to 19 per cent of the global carbon budget by 2040.’

An important polluter, and which causes global warming, carbon dioxide, is released in significant quantity in the production of plastic. A May 2019 ‘Center for International Environmental Law’ (CIEL) published report pointed out the seriously adverse impact of production of plastic on global warming, and overall climate change as ‘The plastic pollution crisis that overwhelms our oceans is also a significant and growing threat to the Earth’s climate.

At current levels, greenhouse gas emissions from the plastic lifecycle threaten the ability of the global community to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C.

With the petrochemical and plastic industries planning a massive expansion in production, the problem is on track to get much worse. If plastic production and use grow as currently planned, by 2030, these emissions could reach 1.34 gigatons per year – equivalent to the emissions released by more than 295 new 500-megawatt coal-fired power plants. By 2050, the cumulation of these greenhouse gas emissions from plastic could reach over 56 gigatons – 10 –13 percent of the entire remaining carbon budget. Nearly every piece of plastic begins as a fossil fuel, and greenhouse gases are emitted at each of each stage of the plastic lifecycle: 1) fossil fuel extraction and transport, 2) plastic refining and manufacture, 3) managing plastic waste, and 4) its ongoing impact in our oceans, waterways, and landscape.’

A ministry of climate change and environmental coordination-led legislation titled ‘Single-use Plastics (Prohibition) Regulations, 2023’ that was passed in June 2023 while is an important step in the right direction of curbing the use of plastics in an overall effort to protect environment needs to be more ambitious in terms of coverage to the entire country, and not just Islamabad.

Moreover, leaving virtually the entire onus on private sector with regard to plastic waste management, the government should involve itself more meaningfully because delays in monitoring compliance by private sector may create lags in reaching targets. This is because of the underlying fast-unfolding nature of climate change crisis.

An April 23 Guardian article ‘World must come together to tackle plastic pollution, says chair of UN talks’ highlighted the immense emphasis of United Nations with regard to effectively dealing with pollution caused by plastic, and the need for passing a legally binding global treaty in this regard. The article pointed out in this regard: ‘As UN talks begin to agree the first global treaty to reduce soaring plastic waste, the chair of the meetings has said he is confident countries will come together to secure an agreement.…Plastic pollution is a critical global concern, with about 400m tonnes produced every year, much of which ends up in our oceans or in landfill.

Beyond the crisis of pollution, there is also a growing body of science exploring the rapid way that microplastics are affecting human health… In a historic agreement in March 2022 countries adopted a mandate opening negotiations for a global, legally binding treaty to address the whole life cycle of plastics. Previous negotiations in Nairobi stalled last November when oil-producing nations proposed to focus on waste management rather than scaling down production of plastic.

Most – 98% – of single-use plastics are made from fossil fuels, and the top seven plastic-producing companies are fossil fuel companies, according to data from 2021. …[Luis Vayas] Valdivieso [chair of intergovernmental negotiations of United Nations], however, said he had not stopped working since the Nairobi talks in his attempt to forge a pathway to the first legally binding agreement on plastic waste. “It is crucial now to bring the treaty back on track, because it has been delayed now,” he told the Guardian.’

For Pakistan, which has little fiscal space – while there is overall weak multilateral spirit – and daunting public expenditure needs to deal with climate change, ‘Pandemicene’ phenomenon, and rising poverty levels, it is important that the issue of plastic pollution is effectively dealt with.

In this regard, the current legislation needs to be amended accordingly to overall enhance the scope of legislation to the entire country, and to bring greater role of the government in not just monitoring primarily but also in providing meaningful level of governance and incentive structures, in addition to making significant level of expenditures for enabling quick shift towards non-plastic alternatives, and better waste management.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Dr Omer Javed

The writer holds a PhD in Economics degree from the University of Barcelona, and has previously worked at the International Monetary Fund. His contact on ‘X’ (formerly ‘Twitter’) is @omerjaved7

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