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“We need a convention at global level, covering the whole of the mercury life cycle from mining to final disposal, but much remains to be done. Sweden will continue to work for a total ban on mercury,” says Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren, commenting on the outcome of the meeting in Japan.
Total ban on mercury still up for negotiation
The second negotiating session on a new global mercury convention ended today in Chiba, Japan. The possibility of a total ban on mercury is still on the negotiating table.
“We need a convention at global level, covering the whole of the mercury life cycle from mining to final disposal, but much remains to be done. Sweden will continue to work for a total ban on mercury,” says Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren, commenting on the outcome of the meeting in Japan.
The INC2’s week of negotiations on a new global convention on mercury under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was devoted to discussing various possible paths for a future regulation of mercury at global level.
Key issues discussed during the meeting and which require much further work to reach a consensus are, above all, the reduction of emissions from coal-fired power stations and industry, the phasing out of existing mercury mining and management of stored quantities, the classification and management of mercury waste, and financial aspects of the future convention.
One of the most important issues for Sweden is to work for a total ban on the use of mercury in products. The session discussed various ways forward and levels of ambition in regulating mercury in products.
Delegates from 117 countries and a number of NGOs and industry organisations participated in the meeting in Chiba from 24 to 28 January. The first session (INC1) was held in Stockholm in June 2010. The Swedish delegation in Japan was led by Ambassador for the Marine Environment Gabriella Lindholm.
Before the next session, which will be held in Africa in November 2011, a draft convention text will be drawn up by the UNEP Secretariat. The draft will be based on the discussions in Chiba and the various written contributions submitted by the delegations, including the EU.
Background: Negotiations on a new global instrument for regulating mercury are to be completed by 2013. The session welcomed Japan’s offer to host the diplomatic conference at which the convention will be signed. This has great symbolic value for Japan, as a means of honouring the victims of the environmental disaster in Minamata, which was caused by mercury emissions from industry.
