Global Plastics Treaty must be shored up against oil and gas ambitions

The document criticizes the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists and petrostates on the UN's Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, specifically at INC-5. It highlights how oil-producing nations have blocked agreements to curtail plastic production as the industry seeks new markets for petroleum products. The text details the environmental and health impacts of plastic, including greenhouse gas emissions, flooding in Mumbai and Indonesia, and toxic pollution in Alberta, Canada. It calls for the 2025 INC-5.2 session to establish specific global reduction targets and ensure the inclusion of Indigenous and civil society voices.

• Fossil fuel and chemical lobbyists had a disproportionate presence at the INC-5 negotiations, with 220 registered attendees. This group would have constituted the largest delegation, exceeding the number of representatives from the host country South Korea, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Pacific Island Nations.
• The fossil fuel industry is pivoting toward plastics as a primary petroleum-based product because demand for oil and gas is expected to peak by 2030 due to the green energy transition. Plastic use is projected to triple between 2019 and 2060.
• Plastic production and disposal contribute approximately 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than the total emissions from the Pacific Islands.
• In Alberta, Canada, the extraction of bitumen for products like single-use plastic bottles has caused severe pollution. Emissions from these tar sands were found to be up to 64 times higher than previously reported, leading to toxic air and the depletion of the Athabasca River, affecting Dene, Métis, and Cree communities.
• The current draft of the Global Plastics Treaty has been weakened by the removal of references to the waste hierarchy, which prioritizes reducing primary plastic polymer production. However, mentions of "energy recovery"—the burning of plastic waste—remain in the text.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). Global Plastics Treaty must be shored up against oil and gas ambitions. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/global-plastics-treaty-must-be-shored-up-against-oil-and-gas-ambitions/

Chicago

Global Witness. Global Plastics Treaty must be shored up against oil and gas ambitions. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/global-plastics-treaty-must-be-shored-up-against-oil-and-gas-ambitions/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Witness |title=Global Plastics Treaty must be shored up against oil and gas ambitions |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/global-plastics-treaty-must-be-shored-up-against-oil-and-gas-ambitions/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalwitnessndglobal, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{Global Plastics Treaty must be shored up against oil and gas ambitions}}, publisher = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/global-plastics-treaty-must-be-shored-up-against-oil-and-gas-ambitions/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }