WASHINGTON, DC (September 23, 2024)–In response to the announcement that California has sued ExxonMobil for a decades-long campaign of deception that overhyped the promise of recycling and spawned a plastic pollution crisis, Greenpeace USA Oceans Campaign Director John Hocevar said: “Greenpeace USA applauds California and Attorney General Rob Bonta for taking bold action against ExxonMobil’s decades of deception fueling the plastic pollution crisis. For too long, Big Oil has pushed recycling lies—promising sustainability while profiting off environmental destruction and human harm. Governments have stood by, letting the human, environmental, and financial costs spiral out of control. This lawsuit sends a clear message: the era of unchecked corporate destruction is ending. We hope this is just the beginning of holding the fossil fuel industry accountable for its toxic legacy.”
Global plastic production doubled from 2000 to 2019, reaching 460 million tonnes (Mt) per year, and without action is anticipated to nearly triple by 2050 and is projected to consume 13% or more of Earth’s remaining carbon budget. As nations head into the final round of negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty, oil and gas companies have been acting as blockers to water down the treaty’s ambition despite the warning from scientists that plastic production must be reduced by at least 75% to keep Earth’s warming below 1.5°C.
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Contact: Tanya Brooks, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, [email protected], +1 (703) – 342- 9226
Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.
