Balanced News: Mercury is still an environmental threat

World leaders met in Geneva to negotiate measures to control mercury pollution, trade, and use. While there were some successes, such as the agreement to ban the use of mercury as a preservative in cosmetics by 2025, there was no agreement on a global method to measure and identify mercury-contaminated waste. Artisanal and small-scale gold-mining operations remain a major driver of the mercury market, releasing 35% of all mercury pollution and impacting Indigenous peoples and local communities. The adoption of an “opt-out clause” around waste in the negotiations has raised concerns about the movement of mercury waste across international borders.