Members talk during fourth negotiation to reduce plastic pollutionDAVE CHAN/AFP
Published 04/25/2024 21:35
Environmental activists denounced this Thursday (25) the growing presence of oil industry lobbyists in talks in Ottawa about a global agreement to reduce plastic pollution.
The 196 lobbyists from the chemical and fossil fuel industries outnumber all the delegations that met in Ottawa and advance to the fourth round of negotiations.
There were almost 40% more lobbyists in these negotiations than in the November round, in Kenya, pointed out the Center for International Environmental Law (Ciel).
The meeting in Ottawa is considered crucial as the last negotiating session approaches, at the end of the year, in South Korea.
Delegates from 175 countries gather to conclude the first United Nations treaty to address the plastic problem.
“The presence of industry lobbyists increases progressively, as calls for an agreement that addresses plastic production grow”, denounced Ciel.
Although companies are not allowed to register for the conversations, lobbyists can participate as professional associates or within national delegations.
The plastics industry promotes increased recycling, while environmentalists want to reduce the volume of plastic produced.
Plastic production has doubled in the last 20 years, to 460 million metric tons, and is on track to triple over the next four decades.
Negotiations in Ottawa will continue until the 29th.
