Minister Bhupender Yadav meets head of UN Environment Programme, discusses plastic treaty talks

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav met United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen in Geneva and discussed ways towards developing an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.

Yadav is in Geneva to participate in the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS). BRS conventions are multilateral environmental agreements, which share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes.

“Our discussions were focused towards developing an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, particularly on negotiations around the organisation of Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) 5.2. Emphasised on the importance of consensus-based decision-making process as it ensures fairness, equity, inclusiveness, shared responsibility and collective commitments and actions,” Yadav said on X.

Yadav said that India had welcomed the adoption of historic United Nations Environment Assembly resolutions which had mandated the development of an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, and establishment of a science policy panel on chemicals and waste to prevent pollution.

During the discussion, he stressed the importance of consensus-based decision-making, saying it helps ensure fairness, equity, inclusiveness, shared responsibility and collective action.