Policy Matters: Finalizing the UN Plastics Treaty

ust one negotiating session remains in the effort to deliver what could be one of the most significant global agreements in history: the United Nations Plastics Treaty. With the treaty, world leaders now have a momentous opportunity to stop plastics, toxic chemicals, and fossil fuels at the source; listen to and support frontline communities facing the worst impacts of pollution and injustice; mitigate the climate crisis; and more. This fifth and final planned negotiating session (INC-5) will be held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from November 25 to December 1, 2024. In preparation for this critical meeting, intersessional expert groups have been working to discuss key issues related to treaty implementation and criteria for chemicals of concern.

The question now is whether leaders will rise to the occasion to stem the tide of plastic pollution by crafting an agreement that is strong and ambitious. We will soon see if negotiators will overcome diverging views and the numerous unresolved issues in the current draft text from the previous negotiating session (INC-4) in Ottawa, Canada—and this is the time to advocate for a treaty that will make a real difference.

On September 24 we hosted a lively discussion that tackled this and other pressing questions from the perspectives of frontline activism, policy, art, science, and law. We were joined by Frankie Orona, Executive Director, Society of Native Nations; Shiv Srivastava, Policy Director, Fenceline Watch; and Richard Thompson, Professor of Marine Biology, University of Plymouth. The webinar was moderated by Julie Teel Simmonds, Senior Counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity.