Greenpeace, a lobbying organization, unveiled an artwork resembling a machine churning out bottles in front of an oil derrick in Paris on Saturday to coincide with discussions on eliminating plastic waste.
Benjamin Von Wong, a Canadian artist, stated that his 5-meter-tall installation along the Seine demonstrated the link between fossil fuels and plastic pollution, which could treble in the next four decades.
The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-2) seeks a legally binding agreement to eradicate more plastic waste, of which only about 9 percent is recycled annually out of 460 million tonnes of plastic produced.
“If we do not act, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans,” tweeted French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Saturday, citing the United Nations.
On Saturday, France hosted a launch ceremony for the discussions. Monday to Friday will be dedicated to technical discussions.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), global plastic waste could triple by 2060. However, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) stated this month that countries could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2040 using existing technologies and implementing significant policy changes.
According to Greenpeace’s website, artist Von Wong stated, “We hope this machine will serve as a stark visual reminder of the urgency of this issue.”
Friday, climate activists demonstrated in Paris during the annual general meeting of TotalEnergies.
