Planning Minister: End plastic pollution

Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development Dr Kennedy Swaratsingh called for an end to plastic pollution in a World Environment Day message on June 5.

“Humanity is grappling with a triple planetary crisis: a swiftly shifting climate, accelerating biodiversity loss and escalating pollution.

“Plastic pollution lies at the heart of the crisis, significantly exacerbating the environmental degradation we are witnessing globally.”

He called for governments, industries and individuals to come together to reduce plastic consumption, improve waste management and support the transition to the circular economy.

“We urge everyone to recognise both the magnitude of the challenge and the power we each hold to effect change,” he said. "It is our shared responsibility to cultivate a culture of sustainability – one that secures the health of our planet for current and future generations."

He said the production usage and disposal of plastics account for about 3.3 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with the majority of the gas emissions coming out of the production of plastic, which relies on fossil fuels.

He said it was estimated that plastics could contribute to up to 19 per cent of global emissions by 2040 and amount of plastic in the world’s oceans could reach to 600 million tonnes.

“These figures are not mere statistics, they represent the profound scale of the crisis before us and the severe long-term consequences for generations to come.”

He said momentum was building worldwide toward a legally binding international instrument on plastic pollutions thanks to the work of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC). TT continues to be a participant in those negotiations, he said.

Noting that the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) was in its 30th year, Swaratsingh commended the authority for its environmental stewardship. He also lauded the iCARE project on plastic pollution which significantly expanded public participation in recycling.

“Moreover the EMA has championed essential regulatory frameworks such as the Waste Management Rules (WMR) and the waste management (fees) regulations treatment, packaging, storage, transportation, collection, disposal, recovery and recycling.”