Conflict of Interest in the Global Plastics Treaty

The document highlights how the plastics industry uses tactics like manufacturing doubt and securing privileged access to influence negotiations, noting that over 220 lobbyists attended the INC-5 session. It recommends embedding conflict of interest safeguards directly into the treaty text, including the preamble and science policy bodies, to protect public health and environmental goals from undue economic influence.

• The plastics and petrochemical industries employ influence tactics similar to those used by the fossil fuel and tobacco industries, including the creation of doubt through funded studies, the spread of disinformation, and obtaining privileged access to policymakers.
• Industry presence at the most recent intergovernmental negotiating committee session (INC-5) saw more than 220 registered lobbyists, representing a nearly 40 percent increase from the previous session. This number of lobbyists exceeded the delegations from the European Union, the Pacific Islands, and all Latin American countries, and significantly outnumbered the Indigenous Peoples Caucus and the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty.
• Industry actors actively oppose regulations on toxic chemicals and the reduction of plastic production, advocating instead that the treaty focus exclusively on waste management. There have also been reports of industry pressuring government delegations and intimidating independent scientists.
• To prevent the treaty from becoming ineffective, the author recommends incorporating specific safeguards into the Chair’s Text, including recognizing vested interests in the preamble, ensuring science policy bodies are free from conflicts of interest, and adding protections to Articles 9 (existing plastic pollution), 11 (financial mechanism), and 12 (capacity building, technology transfer, and cooperation).

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} }