Industry groups intensify lobbying efforts at plastics treaty negotiations in Nairobi.
Environmentalists and scientists advocate for conflict of interest policies.
The debate highlights the tension between commercial interests and environmental protection.
Key quote:
"There should be a screening of participants, and a disclosure of interests on affiliations and funding related to these conflicted industries.”
— Giulia Carlini, Center for International Environmental Law.
Why this matters:
Most plastics are made from fossil fuels and have impacts on human and ecosystem health at every stage of their production and use. The fossil fuel and plastic industries have pushed back against efforts to reduce plastic production. They've lobbied instead for waste management systems like so-called "advanced recycling," also known as chemical recycling -- a process that has been called out as a "dangerous deception" for solving plastic pollution, EHN reported earlier this month.
Your turn: What is the appropriate role for industry in plastic treaty negotiations?
AI-based tools helped produce this text, with human oversight and editing.
Negotiators at United Nations-led talks in Nairobi, Kenya have failed to agree on how to advance toward the development of a global treaty to end plastic pollution.
