Global Plastics Treaty: The warnings from campaigners to leaders

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🗞️ Driving the news: Global leaders are convening in Busan, South Korea, to negotiate a historic Global Plastics Treaty aimed at curbing plastic pollution
• Activists, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, are pressing for decisive action to limit plastic production, despite resistance from fossil fuel-dependent nations advocating for recycling-focused solutions
• UNEP chief Inger Andersen has urged compromise, emphasizing that an imperfect deal is better than none.

🔭 The context: Plastic production is projected to triple by 2060 if current trends continue, exacerbating environmental and health crises
• Civil society groups criticize the exclusion of marginalized communities from these talks, while nearly three million people signed a Greenpeace petition supporting drastic cuts to plastic output
• Previous environmental treaties, such as COP29’s climate finance deal, highlight the challenges of achieving consensus in multilateral negotiations

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Uncontrolled plastic production contributes significantly to pollution, harms ecosystems, and jeopardizes human health
• A robust treaty could safeguard the planet by reducing waste, mitigating chemical hazards, and supporting a circular economy
• The outcomes of these discussions will set a precedent for global environmental governance

⏭️ What's next: Delegates will spend the week negotiating terms, with hopes of finalizing a legally binding agreement by week’s end
• The focus will be on balancing competing interests while ensuring substantial measures to cut plastic production
• Public pressure and activism are expected to play a critical role in shaping the final outcome

💬 One quote: “This is a make or break moment... Will our leaders rise to the occasion or dance to the tune of fossil fuel lobbyists?” – Hellen Kahaso Dena, Greenpeace Africa

📈 One stat: Plastic production could triple by 2060 if no action is taken

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