The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC5) for a Global Plastics Treaty ended today with an agreement to meet again for what will be the final negotiation meeting to land a deal.

Activists from Greenpeace East Asia hold banners in English and Korean in front of a petrochemical complex near Dangjin, South Korea, 300km from where world leaders are gathered at the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations in Busan. Plastic is toxic throughout its entire lifecycle, beginning with production of the raw materials at facilities like this. Greenpeace is demanding a Global Plastics Treaty which includes cuts to production.
Activists from Greenpeace East Asia hold banners in English and Korean in front of a petrochemical complex near Dangjin, South Korea, 300km from where world leaders are gathered at the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations in Busan. Plastic is toxic throughout its entire lifecycle, beginning with production of the raw materials at facilities like this. Greenpeace is demanding a Global Plastics Treaty which includes cuts to production.
© Greenpeace

In response, Graham Forbes, Greenpeace Head of Delegation to the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations says, “Every day that governments allow polluters to continue flooding the world with plastic, we all pay the price. This delay comes with dire consequences for people and the planet, ruthlessly sacrificing those on the frontlines of this crisis.”

“This week, over 100 Member States, representing billions of people, rejected a toothless deal that would have accomplished nothing and stood before the world committing to an ambitious treaty. Now, it’s time they stand by this promise and deliver.

“The assignment for member states at the next meeting is clear: the ambitious majority must break through fossil fuel influence and the obstruction of a few to deliver an effective agreement with binding global targets and measures to reduce plastic production. They must fight for protections against dangerous chemicals, bans on single-use plastics, reuse targets, and an equitable financing plan. They must use their power to ensure the  INC process is inclusive and just and prioritise access for the communities most affected by plastic pollution.

“We stand at a historic crossroads. The opportunity to secure an impactful plastics treaty that protects our health, biodiversity and climate remains within reach. Strong political headwinds make this more challenging, but the lesson from INC5 is clear: ambitious countries must not allow the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries, backed by a small minority of countries, to prevent the will of the vast majority.  A strong agreement that protects people and the planet is our only option.”

Earlier in the week, Greenpeace activists were detained by the South Korean police following a 12-hour peaceful protest launched from the Rainbow Warrior against a petrochemical shipment on 30 November local time. 

As the final negotiations for a UN Global Plastics Treaty enter a critical phase in Busan, South Korea, four Greenpeace International activists prevent a tanker at South Korea’s Daesan complex from loading toxic petrochemicals destined to be used in plastic production.
As the final negotiations for a UN Global Plastics Treaty enter a critical phase in Busan, South Korea, four Greenpeace International activists prevent a tanker at South Korea’s Daesan complex from loading toxic petrochemicals destined to be used in plastic production. © Greenpeace

The Greenpeace International activists demanded that negotiators at nearby Busan UN Plastics Treaty talks not buckle under fossil fuel and petrochemical industry pressure – and agree to a treaty that clearly cuts plastic production. 

The international activists, equipped with protective safety gear, launched from the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior on RHIBs (rigid-hulled inflatable boats), boarded the tanker Buena Alba at 9.30am and set up on the tanker’s mast. Other activists painted the words “Plastic kills” onto the side of the tanker with washable paint. 

The 96 meters long Buena Alba was scheduled to load propylene made from fossil fuels, a key ingredient in plastic production from the Total Energies Hanwha facility, which is located in South Korea’s Daesan Petrochemical Complex.

PETITION: Demand a Global Plastics Treaty

Call on the NZ Government to stand firm and support a strong global plastics treaty.

Take Action