The United Nations on Wednesday agreed to start negotiating a world-first global treaty on plastic pollution in what has been hailed a watershed moment for the planet.
Nearly 200 nations at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi unanimously agreed to create an intergovernmental committee to negotiate and finalize a legally binding plastics treaty by 2024.
UNEA chair Espen Barthe Eide declared the resolution passed with a strike of the gavel as the assembly hall erupted into cheers and applause.
"We are making history today. You should all be proud," said Eide, who is Norway's climate and environment minister.
Negotiators have been given a broad mandate to target plastic trash in all its forms -– not just bottles and straws in the ocean, but invisible microplastics polluting the air, soil and food chain.
'Historic crossroad'
Supporters described the commitment to take united action on the plastic crisis as the most important environmental decision taken by the UN in years.
"We stand at a crossroads in history when ambitious decisions taken today can prevent plastic pollution from contributing to our planet's ecosystem collapse," said Marco Lambertini from WWF.
The broad treaty framework approved by nations -- among them major plastic producers like the United States and China -- does not spell out specific policies, with particulars to be negotiated later.
But the scope covers the entire life cycle of plastic -- a key demand of nations, businesses and environment groups -- and could for the first time introduce new rules on the production of new plastic.
It also allows for the negotiation of new rules around the design of plastic products -- which are made from oil and gas -- to make recycling easier, encourage sustainable use, and spur better waste disposal.
"This is a clear acknowledgement that the entire life cycle of plastic, from fossil fuel extraction to disposal, creates pollution that is harmful to people and the planet," said Graham Forbes from Greenpeace.
The mandate allows for binding and voluntary measures, and the setting of global targets and obligations, the development of national action plans, and mechanisms for tracking progress and ensuring accountability.