Despite Slow Progress at the Plastics Treaty Talks, IPEN Welcomes Leadership Toward Developing an Ambitious Agreement

After four days of streamlining the zero draft, the INC is now closer than ever to substantive negotiations on the key issues for developing the Treaty. Yesterday, while Member States offered various ideas for advancing the work, ultimately the new INC Chair showed leadership in helping to move forward and establish a framework for the next 3 days toward a legal drafting group and defining intersessional work before INC-5.

Updates on some specific items include:

• Among the most advanced discussions are those around chemicals in plastics and the need to protect human health. There are multiple proposals on how to address hazardous chemicals, and we are looking forward to work toward developing criteria for identifying hazardous chemicals, which may be included in intersessional work.
• Progress on funding is progressing but many challenges remain.
• Several countries have reaffirmed the need to address plastic production.

IPEN is eager to continue contributing to the next three days of discussions and offer delegates information and context from our global members here from 34 countries. We urge the INC:

1. To clearly recognize that more plastic production means more plastic pollution. Without curbing plastic production, it will be impossible to end plastic pollution.
2. To implement the health objectives of the treaty by eliminating hazardous chemicals that are used in plastic production.
3. To ensure a toxic-free circularity by preventing the use and presence of hazardous chemicals in recycled plastics. Promoting recycling of plastics with hazardous chemicals will increase exposures and undermine the health objectives of this treaty.