Sure! Here’s the translation into American English:
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Last Tuesday, negotiations began at the UN headquarters in Geneva among representatives from nearly 180 countries with the goal of establishing a legally binding treaty to address the growing plastic pollution crisis. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), emphasized the urgency of an agreement, highlighting the severity of the current situation, which has sparked increasing public outrage worldwide.
Andersen warned about the omnipresence of plastic, which can be found in oceans, nature, and even in human bodies. According to UNEP, if a consensus is not reached in these negotiations, plastic production and waste are expected to triple by the year 2060, which could have devastating repercussions for human health.
Katrin Schneeberger, Director of the Federal Office for the Environment of Switzerland, also stressed the need for an effective treaty, noting that plastic waste is suffocating lakes and turning this issue into a global challenge that requires a collective and urgent response. However, she pointed out that producing countries have not proposed limits on production, complicating the negotiations.
The agreement being sought aims to cover the entire life cycle of plastics, from design and production to disposal, promoting a circular economy and preventing leakage into the environment. Andersen remarked that recycling alone will not be sufficient to overcome the plastic pollution crisis and that a systemic transformation in current practices is necessary.
During the ten scheduled days for negotiations, delegates will discuss a 22-page document that includes 32 draft articles. This document will serve as the basis for conversations about the plastic issue. Andersen is confident in the willingness of countries to reach an agreement that reflects the different realities and challenges they face.
Meanwhile, environmental activists like Shellan Saling, interim president of the Youth Plastic Action Network, express the need for an ambitious treaty that addresses the impact of plastic in various areas, including climate change and public health. Any treaty that materializes in Geneva is expected to be robust and capable of providing effective and sustainable solutions to the plastic pollution crisis.
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via: MiMub in Spanish
