The Global Plastics Treaty INC-4 Negotiations

ClientEarth calls for the Global Plastics Treaty to move beyond recycling and establish legally-binding targets to reduce global plastic production. The briefing highlights that plastics, which are over 99% derived from fossil fuels, contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and that current production trends threaten the 1.5°C global warming limit. Key recommendations for the INC-4 negotiations include adopting a science-based 'full life cycle' approach, halting the construction of new production facilities, and aligning financial flows with the treaty's objectives.

• Plastics production is intrinsically linked to fossil fuels, with over 99% of plastic derived from them, creating a carbon-intensive process from extraction through to waste.
• In 2019, plastics were responsible for 1.8 gigatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, representing 3.4% of global emissions, with 90% of these emissions occurring during production and conversion from fossil fuels.
• Under business-as-usual scenarios, GHG emissions from primary plastic production could reach 6.78 Gt of CO2 equivalent by 2050, potentially consuming 26-31% of the remaining global carbon budget for the 1.5°C limit.

APA

ClientEarth (2024). The Global Plastics Treaty INC-4 Negotiations. https://www.clientearth.org/media/lq1b3gz4/global-plastics-treaty-inc-4-negotiations-clientearth-briefing-april-2024.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. The Global Plastics Treaty INC-4 Negotiations. 2024. https://www.clientearth.org/media/lq1b3gz4/global-plastics-treaty-inc-4-negotiations-clientearth-briefing-april-2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=The Global Plastics Treaty INC-4 Negotiations |date=April 2024 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/lq1b3gz4/global-plastics-treaty-inc-4-negotiations-clientearth-briefing-april-2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2024global, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{The Global Plastics Treaty INC-4 Negotiations}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/lq1b3gz4/global-plastics-treaty-inc-4-negotiations-clientearth-briefing-april-2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }