Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr. Musadik Malik, has called for bold and fair global reforms to tackle the mounting plastic pollution crisis, while safeguarding Pakistan’s environment, economy, and public health.
Speaking at the Informal Ministerial Dialogue on “Investment Opportunities for a Circular Economy in the Context of the Global Plastic Treaty”, during the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2) in Geneva, Switzerland, Dr. Malik exposed a stark global imbalance.
Wealthy nations consume plastics at rates up to 20 times higher than many developing countries and then export their low-value, contaminated, or non-recyclable waste to poorer nations like Pakistan, often disguised as “recyclables.” Without advanced recycling infrastructure, much of this waste ends up dumped in open landfills, burned in communities, or polluting rivers and seas, poisoning our air, soil, and water, and threatening the health of our people.
In Western Europe, the average per capita plastic consumption reaches 150 kilograms per year. In Pakistan, per capita plastic consumption is only 7 kilograms per year. In India and Bangladesh, the figures stand at 8 and 6 kilograms respectively. The numbers are similar in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Kenya, where the average hovers between 5 and 6 kilograms annually. These nations, despite contributing minimally to the global plastic demand, bear the disproportionate burden of its environmental impact.
“Our people, Pakistani people are paying the price for a problem they did not create,” Dr. Malik stated. “We cannot allow the plastic crisis to become yet another injustice for the Global South.”
To address this, the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik has proposed a groundbreaking dual approach under the Global Plastic Treaty:
1. Extended Consumer Responsibility (ECR) Framework: Linking responsibility to consumption levels, not just disposal. High-consuming countries (over 100 kg plastic use per person annually) would pay into a Plastic Fund to finance recycling plants, sorting facilities, and technology in developing countries most affected by imported waste.
2. Global Plastics Credit Market: Similar to carbon credits, this would reward developing nations for tangible recycling, waste collection, and prevention progress. High-consuming nations could purchase these credits as part of their responsibility to address global pollution. This funding would be used to develop modern recycling plants, improve waste collection systems, and integrate informal waste workers into safer, formal jobs, ensuring that environmental action also delivers social and economic benefits.
By championing these measures, Pakistan is not only defending its people’s right to a clean and healthy environment, but also shaping a fairer, more responsible global economy, where no country is used as a dumping ground.
“Plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue, it’s an issue of justice, fairness, and sovereignty,” Dr. Malik concluded. “Pakistan stands ready to lead the fight for a future where our children inherit rivers, land, and air free from the poisons of imported waste.”
