From Commitments to Action: Designing a Just and Effective Financial Mechanism for the Global Plastics Treaty

Author
Neil Tangri

Abstract
Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR) is an important equity principle in international law that obligates wealthier countries to shoulder a proportionately greater burden in solving global environmental problems. The application to finance is clear: “developed” countries should pay for the costs incurred by “developing” countries. These financial transfers have been crucial to the success of some treaties, notably the Montreal Protocol. The climate change convention goes further in applying differentiation to control measures as well, asking “developed” countries to take earlier and stronger action to curb emissions than “developing” countries. The “developed” countries’ failure to meet their obligations has been a major contributor to the treaty’s failure to meet its goals. Moreover, the rationale for differentiated control measures does not apply to the plastic context: reductions in plastic production and use will be beneficial, not an economic burden. The implications for the plastics treaty are clear: CBDR should apply to finance but control measures should be applied uniformly.

Published: October 2024 (revised)