全球塑膠條約請納入台灣的聲音，條約內容應強化對非締約國及貿易的規範！（with English edition）

（圖╱地球公民基金會）

台灣因石化產業受苦的居民與公民團體針對全球塑膠條約談判的聲明：
全球塑膠條約請納入台灣的聲音，條約內容應強化對非締約國及貿易的規範！

我們來自台灣，我們是受到石化工業區污染影響的居民，以及長期關心石化業環境、健康、氣候影響的公民團體。台灣石化產業有70%的產品是出口，我們進口原油，在台灣生產石化原料、塑膠原料及塑膠製品，再出口到世界各地。根據聯合國貿易與發展會議的報告，台灣是全球塑膠進出口貿易的全球前10強。台灣佔ABS、SAN等泛用塑膠原料全球出口總值的20%，主要出口至中國、東南亞。台灣在全球石化及塑膠產業鏈上扮演極重要的角色。

台灣的人民跟環境替塑膠產品的出口，付出沉重的代價。為了供應石化工業用水，政府在台灣母親之河─濁水溪的上游興建了大壩，截斷濁水溪自然水流，導致中下游農業與環境用水的缺乏；而麥寮石化工業園區，以及高雄石化產業聚落的發展，則是以鄰近社區居民的安全與健康為代價，不時的工安爆炸意外，以及高度的癌症等疾病風險，讓鄰近居民無法安居。而石化產業排放巨量的溫室氣體，則是台灣邁向淨零的一大挑戰。身為石化產業的受害者，以及地球公民的一分子。我們支持全球塑膠條約必須納入有效減少全球塑膠生產的條文。我們相信從源頭減少塑膠生產，是最有效減少塑膠污染的方式。

由於國際政治的因素，台灣被迫無法參加全球塑膠條約的談判，最終也不可能成為正式締約國。我們認為台灣在全球塑膠條約政府間談判中的缺席，將讓談判過程缺少更多來自價值鏈中上游的觀點；更重要的，若條約在非締約國及塑膠貿易缺乏足夠強度的規範，將導致如台灣這樣重要的塑膠生產基地成為條約的法外之地，全球塑膠生產會大幅移動至非締約國，導致非締約國的環境與民眾健康更受塑膠生產衝擊，並減損塑膠條約減少全球塑膠汙染與塑膠生產的效果。

因此我們強烈呼籲：

1.政府間協商委員會，應讓台灣以觀察員的身分，參與未來全球塑膠條約的政府間協商，為研擬更完整的條約內容作出貢獻。
2.全球塑膠條約必須要有明確的非締約國貿易條款。透過貿易條款，促使非締約國也必須遵循全球塑膠條約的規範，才得與締約國進行塑膠貿易。

連署團體：環境權保障基金會、台灣零廢棄聯盟、彰化縣環境保護聯盟、台灣人權促進會、台西村公民電力股份有限公司、大社環境守護聯盟、地球公民基金會、看守台灣、綠色公民行動聯盟

Statement from Residents and Civic Groups in Taiwan Affected by the Petrochemical Industry on Global Plastic Treaty Negotiations: Intergovernmental negotiations must include Taiwan’s voice, and the treaty should strengthen provisions on non-party countries and trade!

We, the residents affected by pollution from the petrochemical industrial zones and civic groups concerned about the environment, health, and climate impacts of the petrochemical industry, come from Taiwan. 70% of Taiwan’s petrochemical products are exported; we import petrochemical raw materials, produce plastic materials in Taiwan, and export them worldwide. According to a report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Taiwan ranks among the top 10 in global plastic imports and exports. Taiwan accounts for 20% of the total global export value of general plastic materials such as ABS and SAN, primarily exporting to China and Southeast Asia. Taiwan plays a crucial role in the global petrochemical and plastic industry chain.

The people and environment in Taiwan pay a heavy price for the export of plastic products. To supply water to the petrochemical industry, the government built dams upstream of Taiwan’s mother river, the Zhuoshui River, disrupting its natural flow and causing a lack of water for agriculture and environmental purposes downstream. The development of the Mailiao Petrochemical Industrial Park in central Taiwan and the petrochemical industry settlements in Kaohsiung comes at the cost of the safety and health of nearby communities, with frequent industrial accidents and high risks of diseases such as cancer, making it unbearable for residents in the vicinity. Furthermore, the substantial emissions of greenhouse gasses from the petrochemical industry pose a significant challenge for Taiwan’s path towards net zero.As victims of the petrochemical industry and as global citizens, we support the inclusion of effective measures to reduce global plastic production in the global plastic treaty. We believe that reducing plastic production at its source is the most effective way to mitigate plastic pollution.

Due to international political factors, Taiwan is forced to be excluded from the negotiations of the global plastic treaty and cannot become a formal party. We believe that Taiwan’s absence in the government negotiations of the global plastic treaty will lead to a lack of perspectives from the upstream of the value chain. More importantly, if the treaty lacks strong provisions on non-party countries and trade, important plastic production bases like Taiwan might become loopholes in the treaty. Global plastic production may significantly shift to non-party countries, further impacting the environment and public health in these countries and undermining the effectiveness of the plastic treaty in reducing global plastic pollution and production.

Therefore, we strongly urge:

1.The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee should allow Taiwan to participate in the future global plastic treaty negotiations as a observer to contribute to the development of a more comprehensive treaty.
2.The global plastic treaty must include clear provisions on trade with non-party countries Through trade clauses, non-party countries should be compelled to adhere to the regulations of the global plastic treaty to engage in plastic trade with parties.

Signed by:
Environmental Rights Foundation / Taiwan Zero waste Alliance / Changhua Environmental Protection Union / Taiwan Association for Human Rights / Taixi Village Citizen Power Co., Ltd. / Dashe Environment Protection Alliance / Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan / Taiwan Watch / Green Citizen’s Action Alliance