At a recent United Nations conference in Canada, intended to forge a treaty on plastic pollution, industry insiders prominently influenced proceedings despite the event's "plastic-free" claim.
Lisa Song reports for ProPublica.
In short:
- Industry representatives, some posing as government delegates, gained access to critical negotiation sessions, overshadowing the conference's environmental goals.
- The event highlighted significant disparities in access and influence, with some countries bringing industry members into their official delegations.
- Despite the intended focus on reducing plastic production, industry lobbying and presence at the conference significantly swayed discussions and outcomes.
Key quote:
“The human right to science includes the right to transparency."
— Bethanie Carney Almroth, ecotoxicologist from Sweden’s University of Gothenburg
Why this matters:
The irony of a "plastic-free" conference being influenced by those who have vested interests in the plastic industry underscores a recurring challenge in environmental policymaking: the tug-of-war between economic benefits and environmental protection. Critics argue that allowing industry representatives to have a substantial say could sway the outcomes in favor of less stringent regulations, which might prioritize economic considerations over the urgent need to reduce plastic usage and waste.
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