Ahead of Ottawa UN negotiations: 7 out of 10 people in Canada support a Global Plastics Treaty that cuts plastic production

VANCOUVER — Ahead of the fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) meeting for a Global Plastics Treaty that will be held in Ottawa April 23-29, a Greenpeace International report revealed that 73% of respondents in Canada say cutting plastic production is necessary to stop plastic pollution. The poll was conducted across 19 countries and indicates strong public backing for measures aimed at ending single-use plastics and promoting reuse-based solutions.

Key Canada findings:

73% of respondents say cutting plastic production is necessary to stop plastic pollution; [1]
70% of respondents support a Global Plastics Treaty that cuts production to stop biodiversity loss and limit climate warming to 1.5 C; [2]
83% of respondents support a Global Plastics Treaty that obliges governments and corporations to transition from single-use plastic packaging to reusable and refillable alternatives; [3]
64% of respondents say the Global Plastics Treaty must ban single-use packaging; [1]
72% of respondents say they are concerned about the health effects of plastic on their kids. [4]

Greenpeace Canada’s Head of Oceans and Plastics Campaigns, Sarah King, said:

“The polling results from Canada and around the world reflect what we’re seeing and hearing in our communities — people want bold action to end the plastic crisis once and for all. The call to cut plastic production is loud and clear, and now world leaders must hear this call and ensure their delegations at INC-4 act on it.”

Key global findings from the poll include:

82% of respondents say cutting plastic production is necessary to stop plastic pollution; [1]
80% of respondents support a Global Plastics Treaty that cuts production to stop biodiversity loss and limit climate warming to 1.5 C; [2]
90% of respondents support a Global Plastics Treaty that obliges governments and corporations to transition from single-use plastic packaging to reusable and refillable alternatives; [3]
75% of respondents say the Global Plastics Treaty must ban single-use packaging; [1]
80% of respondents express concern [1] about the health impacts of plastic on their loved ones and 84% of parents polled express concern about the health impacts of plastic on their children. [4]

The poll reveals consistent support for ambitious action on plastics across all polled countries, particularly in Global South regions where plastic pollution levels are notably high.

“Canada knows the stakes and has a unique opportunity as host country to channel the public support shown in this poll into leadership that sets the stage for a strong treaty, and ultimately puts people over plastic,” King added.

Greenpeace calls for a Global Plastics Treaty that cuts total plastic production by at least 75% by 2040 to protect biodiversity and ensure that global temperatures stay below 1.5° C. With over 99% of plastic made from fossil fuels and production set to skyrocket, recent studies have shown that the plastic lifecycle is a significant driver of climate change.

Government delegations from 173 countries are set to gather at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, Canada from April 23 to 29, 2024, for the INC-4 conference to negotiate a legally binding Treaty. The last negotiation meeting will happen in Busan, South Korea in November 2024.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The research was conducted by Censuswide, from a sample of 19,088 members of the public in the UK, USA, Canada, India, Brazil, Egypt, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, China, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Austria, and Norway. The data was collected between 16th – 26th February 2024.

[1] ‘Strongly agree’ and ‘Somewhat agree’ responses combined.

[2] ‘Strongly support’ and ‘Somewhat support’ responses combined.

[3] ‘Essential’, ‘Very important’, and ‘Fairly important’ responses combined.

[4] ‘Very concerned’ and ‘Quite concerned’ responses combined.

Full report can be found here.

Executive Summary can be found here.

Greenpeace detailed demands for a Global Plastics Treaty can be found here, and a media briefer here.

Greenpeace will have a delegation inside the INC in Ottawa, available for interviews.

More than 50,000 people in Canada and 2 million worldwide signed Greenpeace’s petition calling for a strong Global Plastics Treaty. Photos and videos of the petition delivery to the Office of Environment and Climate Change Canada can be found here.

For more information, please contact:

Brandon Wei, Communications officer, Greenpeace Canada

[email protected]; +1 778-772-6138