Friend,

In April, over 4,000 people from around the world gathered in Ottawa for the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to advance a treaty to address the plastics crisis.

The CIEL team participated alongside the Coalition of Civil Society and Rightsholders, and partner organizations from around the world. Together, through the course of the week, we worked to advance a treaty that addresses the entire lifecycle of plastics from production to disposal, exposing corporate influence in the negotiations, and amplifying voices from the frontlines of the plastic crisis, as well as Indigenous Peoples.

Key takeaways from the plastics treaty talks in Ottawa:

1. March to End the Plastic Era: In a powerful demonstration, hundreds of people from around the world, including Indigenous Peoples and activists, held a rally before marching to greet country representatives as they entered negotiations. Organizers and attendees denounced the violence inflicted by increased plastic production, while celebrating the diversity of our movement and reminding negotiators of their duty to protect human rights through the entire lifecycle of plastics.

Pictures from the March to End the Plastics Era.

The CIEL team sits in on INC-4 treaty discussions while urging representatives to reduce plastic production.

2. Much of the treaty is still uncertain: INC-4 is the next to last scheduled negotiation and the clock is ticking. Negotiators once again fell short of what is needed to finish negotiations on schedule. Key decisions, such as the structure of the treaty, and scope and nature of key obligations remain undecided. Negotiators agreed to do some intersessional work, which is critically important between now and the next INC in Busan, Republic of Korea later this year. This is the first time we will have intersessional work in this treaty negotiation.

3. Alarming Influence of Industry Lobbyists: A CIEL analysis revealed a worrying trend: nearly 200 lobbyists from the fossil fuel and chemical industries registered for INC-4, marking a 37% industry increase from INC-3 and outnumbering the representatives from the Indigenous Peoples Caucus seven to one. These lobbyists have a financial interest in continuing to produce plastics, which endangers health, the climate, and human rights. Calls for a strong conflict of interest policy to safeguard the talks are coming from both inside and outside the negotiations. This growing industry presence threatens to undermine the treaty’s ambition and success.

Delphine Lévi Alvarès, CIEL's Global Petrochemicals Campaign Manager, speaks at the lobbyist analysis press release panel.

4. Delayed Action on Plastic Production: Despite countries’ growing recognition that we must reduce plastic production, this remains one of the most controversial topics in the negotiations. Countries’ unwillingness to discuss production as a part of formal intersessional work over the coming months is a major missed opportunity to make progress on one of the most critical aspects of the future treaty.

5. (Dis)Agreement on Decision-Making Blocks the Path Forward: The lack of a clear mechanism for making meaningful decisions continues to delay the progress of negotiations. A small number of countries continue to impede the negotiations by insisting on making decisions by consensus, even though that would give a single country veto power in every single decision. This is a critical barrier to finalizing a strong treaty by the end of the year. However, a majority of countries support majority voting and some countries are also beginning to recognize that majority voting in future Conferences of the Parties (COP) may be critical to ensuring the treaty's long-term success.

6. Public Participation: Despite precious few opportunities to speak inside the negotiations, members of civil society and rightsholders still found ways to speak out. From demonstrations, press conferences, technical support to ambitious countries, and powerful displays of solidarity inside negotiation spaces, people affected by the entire lifecycle of plastic continued to demand bold action. Ending the plastic era requires solidarity with a broad coalition, and channeling our collective power is making a difference — our demands are increasingly being echoed by country statements.

Rightsholders speak on plastic production inflicting violence on their land and urge representatives to take action.

Looking Forward

CIEL remains committed to advocate for a treaty that upholds and protects human rights and environmental justice.

The plastics negotiations in Ottawa exposed just some of the complex challenges we face in combating plastic pollution throughout its lifecycle. Industry opposition to necessary changes highlights the urgent need for countries to show true leadership at the final scheduled INC later this year.

Alongside allied nations and partners, CIEL will continue actively working towards a treaty that is fit for purpose and capable of effectively addressing the global plastic crisis.

As we move forward, your support and involvement are more crucial than ever. Together, we can overcome industry interference and advocate for a treaty that not only addresses the full lifecycle of plastics but also upholds the health of our planet, human rights, and the rights of future generations.

In solidarity,

(L to R:) Maria Frausto, Cate Bonacini, Dharmesh Shah, Carroll Muffett, Andrés Del Castillo, Rachel Radvany, Melissa Blue Sky, Daniela Duran Gonzalez, David Azoulay, Delphine Lévi Alvarès, Hélionor De Anzizu
Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)

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