Geneva, Switzerland – After two years of Global Plastics Treaty talks, ministers in Geneva faced a historic choice during the final hours of what was supposed to be the last round of negotiations: deliver a treaty that truly tackles plastic pollution, or give into the petrochemical industry’s lobbying.
Graham Forbes, Greenpeace Head of Delegation to the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations and Global Plastics Campaign Lead for Greenpeace USA, said:
“The inability to reach an agreement in Geneva must be a wake up call for the world: ending plastic pollution means confronting fossil fuel interests head on. The vast majority of governments want a strong agreement, yet a handful of bad actors were allowed to use process to drive such ambition into the ground. We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result. The time for hesitation is over.
“The plastics crisis is accelerating, and the petrochemical industry is determined to bury us for short-term profits. Now is not the time to blink. Now is the time for courage, resolve and perseverance. The call from all of civil society is clear: we need a strong, legally binding treaty that cuts plastic production, protects human health, provides robust and equitable financing, and ends the plastic pollution from extraction to disposal. And world leaders must listen. The future of our health and planet depends on it.”
ENDS
Contacts:
Angelica Carballo Pago, Global Plastics Communication and Media Lead, Greenpeace USA [email protected], +63917 1124492
Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]
