Geneva: Greenpeace painted in black Access to the Palais des Nations

While governments around the world meet in Geneva for the final negotiations of the International Plastics Treaty, Greenpeace activists have created with painting a symbolic drag of oil and hung on large banners at the entrance to the Palais des Nations to denounce the undue influence of the fossil fuels in negotiations.

This action highlights the attempts of lobbyists of fossil fuels and oil producing countries from preventing countries from agreeing on a reduction in plastic production as a central element of the new treaty, communicates the ecological organization on August 7. 22 activists from several European countries, including Switzerland., Participated in action. Some also climbed the roof of the entrance to the Palais des Nations and deployed a banner denouncing lobbyists of fossil fuels registered in the current negotiations, while another banner recalled that the international plastics treaty was not for sale.

“Each negotiation session attracts more oil and gas lobbyists,” says Joëlle Hérin, consumer expert at Greenpeace Switzerland. “We call on the UN to exclude them. Governments must not leave a handful of companies in the fossil fuels sector to be over the call of civil society which requires a strong agreement to reduce plastic production. ”

Each session of negotiations, more and more lobbyists of fossil industries and petrochemicals have access to discussions, while the most exposed communities, indigenous populations and civil society must fight to obtain significant participation. According to the analysis of the Center for International Environmental Law (Ciel), more than 220 lobbyists of the petrochemical industry had registered during the Inc5 in Busan, an increase of 12 % compared to the INC4 in Ottawa. Taken together, industry lobbyists formed one of the largest delegations, greater than the number of European Union delegates and its member states.

Greenpeace and the sky also delivered a letter to the executive director of UNP and assistant secretary general, requesting that lobbyists of fossil fuels be excluded from future negotiations on the International Plastic Treaty.

The fossil fuels industry and its political allies are pressure to weaken the ambition of the treaty. If they achieve it, plastic production could triple by 2050, further fueling the climate crisis, environmental destruction and health damage.