"OTTAWA - Nearly 200 fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists plan to join this week's United Nations negotiations on the first global treaty to curb plastic pollution — a 37% jump from the previous gathering in November, an analysis released on Thursday showed.
The jump in registered industry representatives at the talks in Ottawa, Canada, comes as talks enter a crucial stage. There is just one round of negotiations left to hammer out a final text that all countries agree on by the end of the year.
The aim is to create a legally binding treaty that would cover the entire lifecycle of plastic, from production to disposal or reuse. But some fossil fuel and petrochemical industry groups, as well as countries that rely on those industries, are opposed to any U.N. treaty that would impose strict production caps or chemical or product phase-outs.
While more than 4,000 people have registered to attend the talks, civil society groups said the heavy presence of representatives of industries that would be the target of new regulations could undermine the negotiation process."
Valerie Volcovici and Gloria Dickie report for Reuters April 25, 2024.
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