An armada of fossil fuel lobbyists in Ottawa, for the first international treaty against plastic pollution

In Canada, 176 countries, scientists and NGOs are meeting this week to negotiate the first international treaty against plastic pollution. They have, in front of them, 196 “plastic influencers” sent by the oil industry.

Global negotiations to establish the first treaty to combat plastic waste, which floods nature from the bottom of the oceans to the tops of mountains, resumed Tuesday April 23 in Ottawa, Canada. A closely monitored treaty, which the Canadian Minister of the Environment hopes is “ambitious”, it is a crucial issue for public health, the environment and the climate. Plastic production is increasing exponentially, 460 million tonnes today, which is twice as much as 20 years ago.

And the latest OECD calculations predict that there will be three times more in 2060. Which leads us directly to the central point of the Ottawa discussions: how to curb this plastic frenzy? Among the solutions, that of imposing a production ceiling on each country, “limit and reduce plastic consumption and manufacturing to sustainable levels”.

And this solution, for now, is part of the treaty. This is also one of the victories obtained by environmental defenders in the previous round of negotiations in Nairobi in 2023. And it is a solution supported by a coalition of countries who believe that it must be accompanied by binding legal rules. This solution is even encouraged by some celebrities.

THE “Dude”American actor Jeff Bridges, denounces the ravages of plastic saturation in a message addressed to negotiators. “Plastic is present in our water, our food, our air, our land, and even in our bodies”lists the actor in a video. “Plastic and its chemical components are linked to the development of cancer, diabetes, obesity, lung and fertility problems… The observation is clear: plastic poisons us”he continues.

Lobbyists call for focusing on recycling rather than limiting production

Not everyone shares this view. Knowing that 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels, it is a beacon in the night for the oil giants. Plastic is a new El Dorado that the oil industry is defending in Ottawa, relying on an army of lobbyists. Their job is to explain that capping plastic production is not the solution and that we must focus on recycling. A market, precisely, in the hands of these same industrialists who are campaigning for the establishment of “plastic credits”, money which could finance recycling processes.

And in Ottawa, the influence of these lobbyists is colossal. They are integrated into country delegations (i.e. oil producing countries) with direct access to all meetings, including the most sensitive discussions which take place behind closed doors. These “plastic influencers” There were 143 at the Nairobi discussions, there were 196 in Ottawa. Plastic lobbyists outnumber scientists and outnumber members of the European delegation.