Conflict of Interest in the Global Plastics Treaty

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the plastics and petrochemical industries are attempting to weaken the Global Plastics Treaty by utilizing lobbying tactics similar to those of the fossil fuel and tobacco industries. The document calls for the integration of robust conflict of interest safeguards directly into the treaty text to prevent industry influence from undermining public health and environmental goals.

• The plastics and petrochemical industries are employing strategies to weaken the Global Plastics Treaty, specifically opposing regulations on toxic chemicals and the reduction of plastic production, while advocating that the treaty focus exclusively on waste management.
• Industry presence at the intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC-5) has increased significantly, with over 220 registered lobbyists representing a nearly 40 percent increase from the previous session. This number of lobbyists exceeds the delegations from the European Union, the Pacific Islands, and all Latin American countries, and outnumbers the Indigenous Peoples Caucus by almost nine to one and the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty by more than two to one.
• CIEL recommends that conflict of interest protections be embedded directly into the treaty text rather than deferred to future COPs. Specific suggestions include recognizing vested interests in the preamble, ensuring science policy bodies are free from conflicts of interest (using the Stockholm Convention's Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee as a model), and adding safeguards to Articles 9 (existing plastic pollution), 11 (financial mechanism), and 12 (capacity building, technology transfer, and cooperation).
• The document notes that Member States party to the Escazú Agreement and the Aarhus Convention are already obligated to promote public participation, which includes avoiding "undue economic or political influence" as specified in the Almaty Guidelines.

APA

Radvany, R. (2025). Conflict of Interest in the Global Plastics Treaty. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Conflict-of-Interest-in-the-Global-Plastics-Treaty.pdf

Chicago

Radvany, Rachel. Conflict of Interest in the Global Plastics Treaty. Center for International Environmental Law, 2025. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Conflict-of-Interest-in-the-Global-Plastics-Treaty.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Radvany |first1=Rachel |title=Conflict of Interest in the Global Plastics Treaty |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=May 2025 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Conflict-of-Interest-in-the-Global-Plastics-Treaty.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{radvany2025conflict, author = {Radvany, Rachel}, title = {{Conflict of Interest in the Global Plastics Treaty}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2025}, month = may, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Conflict-of-Interest-in-the-Global-Plastics-Treaty.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }