Environmentalists decry oil lobby presence at plastic treaty talks

Negotiations on Global Treaty , to End Plastic Pollution , Reach Critical Phase . 'The Independent' reports that negotiators from around the world have met to discuss what could become a global treaty meant to end plastic pollution. . The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution has begun agreeing on treaty language at their fourth of five scheduled plastics summits. The most ambitious and contentious idea revolves around limiting how much plastic can be manufactured globally. As most plastics are made from fossil fuels and chemicals, oil and gas exporters have strongly objected to the limitations, along with plastic-producing countries and companies. According to Stewart Harris, an industry spokesperson with the International Council of Chemical Associations, the treaty also focuses on recycling and reuse. . We want to see the treaty completed. We want to work with the governments on implementing it. The private sector has a role to play, Stewart Harris, an industry spokesperson with the International Council of Chemical Associations, via 'The Independent'. 'The Independent' reports that the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty provided scientific evidence on plastic pollution at the negotiations. I heard yesterday that there’s no data on microplastics, which is verifiably false: 21,000 publications on micro and nanoplastics have been published, Bethanie Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicology professor at Sweden's University of Gothenburg who co-leads the coalition, via 'The Independent'. Ecuador's chief negotiator, Walter Schuldt stressed that countries present at the negotiation share a common vision of moving forward in the treaty process. Because at the end of the day, we’re talking about the survival of the future of life, not only of human life but all sorts of life on this planet, Walter Schuldt, Ecuador's chief negotiator, via 'The Independent'