Davoud Emadi, speaking Saturday, Sept. 6, at the conference, said the United Nations Environment Assembly in 2022 mandated negotiations to end plastic pollution and draft a binding international agreement. Those talks began that year and continued last month in Geneva, Switzerland, with 180 countries participating. The session ended without a final deal, and negotiations were postponed to the next round.

Emadi said an Iranian delegation attended the Geneva meeting, where the head of the National Petrochemical Company joined ministers and officials from member states to discuss solutions to environmental and plastic pollution challenges.

He noted that planning for the Tehran conference began shortly after the Geneva session at the suggestion of the petrochemical company’s managing director. Despite limited time, the event came together with the help of committed colleagues, he added. The Department of the Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, Polymer Industries Association, and the Presidential Office for Legal Affairs also contributed to the conference.

Emadi said the key topics raised in Geneva were also discussed at the Tehran meeting. These included the production of plastic feedstock, product design and manufacturing, waste management, emissions control across the plastic production chain, national reporting and action plans, compliance systems, and international cooperation. He added that speakers and representatives from several countries and organizations were invited to ensure diverse perspectives in drafting the agreement.

He said the conference’s main goals were to examine global developments, identify challenges and opportunities for both government and industry, create dialogue among government, academia, industry and society, and raise awareness of environmental, social and economic impacts. Other aims included drafting a national roadmap for industrial growth and environmental protection, and turning the crisis into an economic opportunity through innovation, job creation, new markets, and informed product choices.