ZERO DRAFT TREATY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: The second meeting of the intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) was recently held. It has concluded with the member states mandating the INC secretariat to develop a zero draft for an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution including in the marine environment.

Zero Draft Treaty

• About: It is an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution including in the marine environment.
• Negotiators: 10 placeholders to discuss issues like the preamble, definitions, principles, and scope, in addition to the institutional arrangements The zero draft has and the final provisions.
• Member states such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and China at INC-2 stressed the importance of defining the scope of the legally binding instrument. India had agreed with this proposal. 
• The submission by New Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) to the INC secretariat points out that the phraseology “full life cycle of plastic” is used by various stakeholders and is open to interpretation subject to the interests of the stakeholders.

Plastic Pollution

• As per reports from the CPCB, plastic waste accounts for 8% of the overall solid waste, with Delhi being the largest contributor, followed by Kolkata and Ahmedabad. 
• India produced more than 3 million tons of plastic waste and but recycling rate for the total plastic waste stands at just 30%.
• The majority of India's plastic waste, approximately 67%, finds its way into the environment or is deposited in open dumpsites.
• About 20% of this plastic waste is directed towards end-of-life solutions such as co-incineration, plastic-to-fuel processes, and road construction, while a smaller portion, around 12%, undergoes recycling.