Pacific Environment’s Post

"The Pacific will continue to call for a high ambition, we have the moral authority in this process as we are disproportionately impacted by the negative effects of plastic pollution. We bring to the negotiations the voices of our large and diverse blue Pacific. If we are to reach an agreement on the zero draft at the end of this round of negotiations, we need to prioritize long-term sustainability over short-term interests. This will require leadership, compromise and willingness of all parties to come to the table and negotiate in good faith" - Haden Talagi, Niue #CleanPacific #PlasticsTreaty #OnePacificVoice

Next week countries across the globe will meet in Ottawa, Canada, for INC-4, the fourth session of the United Nations’ negotiations for a global plastics treaty. And this weekend, the Center and the rest of the Break Free From Plastic coalition will rally to remind negotiators what’s at stake: human rights, public health, the climate, and the environment. People, wildlife and the planet deserve a plastic-free future. Join us in telling the U.S. secretary of state: It’s time to end the plastic era ➡️ https://biodiv.us/3Q17XFa

Across the globe, people are waking up to the myriad harms of plastic, from impacts to our marine environment to human health. Currently the global #FossilFuel industry, facing declining energy markets, looks to plastics as a lifeline. On Friday, Kristen McDonald, Pacific Environment’s plastics lead, presented at the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (PIELC) (#PIELC2024) on Kicking the Plastic Habit: Field Reports from Global Treaty Negotiations to Local Legislative Fights. 🌎🥤 When it comes to plastics, however, activists are thinking global — and acting local. From current United Nations Global Plastics Treaty negotiations underway (#INC4) to policy efforts banning polystyrene food containers in Oregon, there is a robust effort at all levels to fight the plastic-climate crisis. At Pacific Environment, we’re calling for:  📉 Reductions in plastic production of AT LEAST 75% ➡ Invest in and support reuse as a key solution to single-use plastic 🌱 Develop systems that are accessible and affordable for everyone Learn more about the conference: https://bit.ly/3V1FeTT

I'll be attending the fourth round of negotiations (#INC4) on securing a UN #plasticstreaty to end plastics pollution in order to protect human health and the environment. One of the messages I'll be bringing is the importance of adequate monitoring to assess effects the treaty.   To provide insights on plastics monitor, the EEA recently launched the circularity metrics lab on plastics with 9 key indicators: https://lnkd.in/d6KxYt7b Many thanks to all that have help develop this: Lars Fogh Mortensen, Ioannis Bakas, Daniel Montalvo, João Costa, Meri Aho, Shane Colgan, Malin zu Castell-Rüdenhausen (née Meinander), Ive Vanderreydt, Anna Tenhunen-Lunkka, Alexandra Almasi, Emma Strömberg, Alessio D'Amato, An Vercalsteren.

Alright friends, are you ready for some tough negotiations? After a bumpy ride getting here, it’s time to buckle our seatbelts again because this week I’m in Ottawa, on assignment with the IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB), covering the 4th meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (#INC4). Let’s do a quick recap. #PlasticPollution is a serious problem and is one of the triple planetary crises - the way we produce, use and dispose of plastics is polluting ecosystems, creating risks for human and animal health, and destabilising the climate. We currently produce 460 million tons of plastic/year and without urgent action, this will triple by 2060. This is why @UNEP launched a series of negotiations to create a legally binding global agreement to address plastic pollution. It hasn’t been an easy road, and despite the deadline being at INC5 in November, we’re still a long way from the finish line. Essentially, we’re trying to negotiate what the plastics treaty would look like (think: the Paris Agreement). Until now, we’ve been working towards a ‘zero draft’, a body of text that contains the main elements of the treaty that we can then negotiate into a final agreement. This was supposed to be the outcome of INC3 but that didn’t happen. After a long week of disagreements, conflicting opinions, and extended negotiations, no single draft was achieved. Instead, we now have a 69-page, bracketed (meaning no agreement), ‘revised zero draft’, which contains multiple options for each potential treaty provision, including 16 possibilities for the treaty’s scope. Ranging from no scope to reinterpretations of the treaty’s mandate addressing the full life cycle of plastics and everything in between, these options must be narrowed during INC-4. Sound like a mouthful? That’s because it is. These negotiations are complicated and this is a difficult place to start. As our team leader warned, ‘this is going to be quite hectic, more than usual, so come prepared.’ Let’s see how prepared the world is to finally make the decisions we know are needed for the sustainability of the planet – and ourselves. #plasticstreaty #livingfiercely

Today, global leaders will gather in Ottawa for the fourth round of United Nations negotiations to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The UN Plastic Treaty, the first-ever global treaty aimed at tackling plastic pollution, could be a landmark deal in terms of environmental protection. Until next week, the intergovernmental negotiating committee will discuss different options to tackle plastic pollution - this includes measures on primary plastic polymers, chemicals of concern, extended producer responsibility and waste management. The treaty is expected to be finalized by the end of this year. With the final negotiations scheduled for December, countries are pressured to find common ground. Exited of the outcome of the negotiations and whether the treaty will be a catalyst for plastic circularity. #plastics #wastemanagement #circulareconomy #UNPlasticTreaty #extendedproducerresponsibilty https://lnkd.in/esm_PKJs

🇬🇧 The UK National Treaty Dialogues on Plastic Pollution: INC-4 Report is here! This comprehensive program report captures the insightful discussions and recommendations from the recent UK Plastic Treaty Dialogues. From February 12th to 21st 2024, stakeholders from the UK plastics system convened virtually for the fourth session of the UK Plastic Treaty Dialogues, a collaborative effort between OPLN and the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The sessions were composed of both sectoral and plenary discussions, serving as a pivotal platform for diverse voices to come together. These dialogues were held with two primary objectives in mind: (1) to reflect on the intergovernmental negotiation process, and (2) to provide insights to guide the UK's contributions throughout the treaty process. This includes the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution in Ottawa, Canada during INC-4 Member States negotiations from 23rd - 29th April 2024. You can read the report here: https://lnkd.in/gMCFBwrE #UKNationalDialogues #INC4 #multistakeholder #plasticpollution

Check out our new series! This first Deep Dive explores Plastic Justice: how the plastic lifecycle is an ocean health, human rights, and social justice issue. 🌊 Stay on the lookout for future videos on ocean justice and plastics ahead of the UN treaty negotiations on plastic pollution, #INC4. What topics do you want to see covered next? 🌎💡 Speakers: Rachel Bustamante, Audrey Danthinne, Ciara Shea, and Collin Oliver.

🚨 Over 130 organizations bring to António Guterres attention the troubling statements made by UNEP Executive Director, Mrs. Inger Andersen🚨 Her public statements: 🔴 Exhibit a concerning pattern that prejudges the outcome of the negotiations. 🔴 Give a restrictive interpretation of the future instrument’s scope by focusing exclusively on single-use and short-lived plastics, neglecting extraction and production within the entire plastic lifecycle. 🔴 Characterize discussions around production caps as “not intelligent,” which disrespects Member State representatives, parliamentarians, independent scientists, economists, Indigenous Peoples, frontline communities, workers, and civil society organizations. We respectfully ask that Mrs. Andersen: 1️⃣ Retract her public statements containing subjective affirmations about the discussion on production caps not being intelligent 2️⃣ Refrain from exceeding her role as the convener of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC). 3️⃣ Align her public communications with the most recent scientific evidence, regarding the comprehensive scope needed to effectively address the plastic pollution crisis.

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