Ten states press US to take tougher stance in UN plastic treaty
By Valerie Volcovici
WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) -Ten states on Friday called on the U.S. government to go beyond backing production caps in a global plastic treaty, and support a pact that rejects "false" solutions like forms of recycling and protects communities burdened by plastic production.
In a letter sent ahead of the final round of negotiations on a U.N. treaty in Busan, South Korea, later this month, New York Attorney General Letitia James and the attorneys general of California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and others, urged the U.S. delegation to go beyond its stated positions at the talks.
In August, the U.S. said it would support a treaty at the talks known as INC-5 that would set global caps on plastic production, a break from its previous stance that it should be left to countries to decide.
"I applaud our nation’s delegation to INC-5 for their support of a global plastics treaty that will establish meaningful caps on plastic production," the letter said. "I encourage the delegation to heed our additional recommendations so we can build toward a more sustainable future."
The debate over whether a U.N. treaty should seek to limit the amount of plastic being made drove the last round of negotiations in Ottawa in April to overtime, with major plastic and petrochemical producers like Saudi Arabia and China blocking further negotiations around production caps. They argued that countries should focus on less contentious topics, such as plastic waste management.
The letter also called for the treaty to recognize the link between plastic pollution and climate change, as well as prioritize the development of a plastic reuse system.
In September, the attorney general of California Rob Bonta announced that he has sued Exxon Mobil for its role in exacerbating the plastic pollution crisis by misleading the public about the efficacy of recycling.
Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Sonali Paul
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
