SAN JOSE, Antique (PIA) -- As the Philippines joins the observance of World Environment Day with the theme, “#beatplasticpollution,” Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda expressed hope for realizing the first global treaty to curb plastic pollution by the end of 2024.

"With the negotiations rolling, we are hopefully months away from a global plastics treaty that will address the scourge of plastic pollution," she said, referring to the ongoing talks by country delegations, non-government organizations, and industry representatives in Paris, France on a legally binding pact that aims to stop upsurge of plastic waste.

"The celebration of World Environment Day started in 1973 on the first day of the Stockholm Convention on the Human Environment. Today, 50 years later, the human environment is choking with plastic pollution," Legarda said.

"When you refuse plastic bags or utensils, it may seem like a trivial matter, but it has pushed the envelope for policy," she added in agreement with the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee's call. (AGP/OSLL/PIA Antique)