Consensus on mercury pollution

The Mercury Treaty, which took four years to negotiate, is considered a victory because it represents a global consensus that mercury pollution presents a serious threat to human health and the environment. Now governments and all other stakeholders need to get to work.

During the negotiations, public interest groups like IPEN strongly criticized the parts of the treaty that are not obligatory. For instance, the treaty “encourages” governments to reduce or phase out the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), the largest source of mercury emissions and releases, but sets no specific targets or deadlines.  To the credit of the DENR and its partners, President Aquino’s E.O. 79 issued in July 2012 strictly prohibits mercury use in ASGM.
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/opinion/61255-consensus-on-mercury-pollution