Global Plastics Treaty

So this week has been quite the week at the UN Global #PlasticsTreaty negotiations happening right now in Ottawa! (skip to the bottom of the caption to see how you can quickly take action)

These #INC4 negotiations are the fourth of fives rounds of negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty. They are really a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure a global solution to the plastic crisis.

➡️ It is critical for this treaty to cut 👏 plastic 👏 production 👏, as this tackles the plastic crisis at the source. 99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, and Big Oil is investing billions in plans to massively expand plastic production (CIEL). Unfortunately, some nation states & corporate actors are trying to block cuts to plastic production.

Let`s recap some important updates from the week ⤵️

👨‍💼 196 fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists registered for the plastics treaty talks. The fossil fuel and chemical industry registered more representatives than the smallest 87 country delegations combined.

🍁 Canadian Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has been making conflicting statements about his position on including cuts to plastic production. A couple of days ago, he emphasized the necessity of including limits on plastic production in a global treaty to end plastic waste. But yesterday, he suggests that imposing strict caps on plastic production may be "too complicated".

📣 Greenpeace Canada activists delivered a "Global Plastics Factory" to delegates to remind them of the importance of cutting plastic production and putting people/planet over plastics and profit.

We need clear leadership from Minister Guilbeault this week. His uncertainty conflicts with what people want, what scientists say, and Canada`s promises to protect the environment. As host of the plastic talks, Canada must support strong actions, not weaken them.

👉 TAKE ACTION: As host country, Canada has the opportunity to lead on a strong Global #PlasticsTreaty. Let`s urge Guilbeault and Trudeau to help secure an ambitious treaty >> LINK IN BIO to sign the petition and/or send them a message.

#EndPlasticProduction #EndPlasticPollution #BreakFreeFromPlastic #cdnpoli ...

Something that drives me crazy when it comes to the management of #plasticpollution is the idea the consumer is somehow responsible. The consumer should recycle more. The consumer should buy better products. The consumer should drive industry change. Nonsense.

Of course consumers play an important role, and we can make better choices (which we need to do), but let’s get real – we have almost no influence over industry and most people can’t make sustainable choices. If I want to buy a coke, I’ll buy it in whatever container it comes in. Did I ask for it to be a plastic bottle? No. Can I tell industry not to give me a plastic bottle? Not really. Consumers are led to believe the burden of responsibility is on them, when actually, it’s not.

This is why the topic of Extender Producer Responsibility (EPR) is so important.

EPR is a policy approach aimed at encouraging manufacturers, producers and importers to take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products, including disposal and recycling. It shifts responsibility away from consumers and puts it right back on producers, which is exactly where it belongs. You’ve heard of the polluter-pays principle? This is it.

It’s a contentious issue at #INC4. Not only has there been a massive increase of fossil fuel lobbyists attending the negotiations (research shows 196 lobbyists here, which outnumbers the size of all individual delegations), but many countries are also oil producers themselves. It’s difficult. So it really needs to be addressed at two levels.

At the global level, we need to have a set of standards to control the impact multinational companies have. At a national level, individual countries need to have restrictions and regulations for the industries they engage with, and ensure that producers take responsibility for the products they bring in.

There are no easy answers in these negotiations but it sure does make a lot of sense that if you’re going to produce such enormous waste, then you better be prepared to take responsibility for that waste.

For more: https://enb.iisd.org/plastic-pollution-marine-environment-negotiating-committee-inc4-27april24

#plasticstreaty #livingfiercely ...

Hello from Ottawa🇨🇦, where GAIA staff, members, and allies are participating in the fourth round of negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty!

Slides 1 & 2: As delegates entered the venue, we uplifted shared demands and stories from communities affected by plastics extraction, production, and disposal.
Slides 3 & 4: Ahead of negotiations, GAIA, breakfreefromplastic, societyofnativenations, ejcagstplastic, and globalrec_org organized a gathering between indigenous leaders, waste pickers, and environmental justice communities to deepen relational alignment and discuss challenges and opportunities for a Just Transition.
Slide 5: Teenage activist Nina Azzahra aeshnina at the March to End the Plastic Era demanding that Canada, the U.S. and other Global North countries stop shipping their plastic waste to her home country of Indonesia.
Slide 6: Individual actions and voluntary commitments aren’t enough. That’s why we’re pushing for a strong global treaty that will *regulate* the whole lifecycle (really a death cycle!) of plastics, with an emphasis on lowering production - a move which 8 in 10 people worldwide support! ✊

#PlasticsTreaty #INC4 #LessPlasticMoreLife
#WeAreGlobalSouth #BreakFreeFromPlastic ...