Sam Harrison

UN plastics treaty chair to step down with process in turmoil Exclusive: Luis Vayas Valdivieso says he is quitting for personal and professional reasons after reports of pressure behind the scenes

The Chair of the #GlobalPlasticsTreaty negotiations, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, is stepping down, for personal and professional reasons.

#INC5.2 #INC5 #PlasticsTreaty

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Photo of a large pile of receipts

I hate doing expenses claims...

YouTube video by Center for International Environmental Law Plastics Treaty - What happened? What's next?

Plastics Treaty — What happened? What's next?
Negotiations collapsed in Geneva. Disappointing, yes. Defeat? Certainly not.
📽️ Watch: What happened, what's next — and why we still have hope! #PlasticsTreaty #INC52 youtu.be/-HgqLVANa78

"Because of the complexity and number of chemicals to assess and the enormous variability of their uses, the regulatory system is overwhelmed and not sufficiently protective ... chemical pollution has become a serious global issue."

www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...

Left to right: Richard Cross, Sam Harrison, Heidrun Feuchtmayr, M. Glória Pereira observing the negotiations

Observers listening to plastics treaty negotiations

🌍 A UKCEH team were observers at the latest UN talks on a global treaty to end plastic pollution.

Negotiations ended without consensus after 2 intense weeks, but there are glimmers of hope

🔗 tinyurl.com/mrxmfm87

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@samharrison.science @richardkcross.bsky.social @feuchtmayr.bsky.social #INC5

Geneva Plastics Treaty Talks End in Abject Failure - Center for International Environmental Law Plastics treaty talks collapse at the end of the resumed fifth session of the negotiations (INC-5.2).

The #PlasticsTreaty talks have ended without a treaty. To call this process a failure is an understatement. The world doesn't need more plastic. People know it, doctors know it, markets know it. We must now restart — not repeat.
👉 Read our statement: bit.ly/4fIWhCC

As well as expressing their gratitude to the Chair, many countries said that they thought progress had been made in Geneva and could form the basis for future negotiations. Will there be an INC-5.3?

There will be no #GlobalPlasticsTreaty from #INC5.2. The Chair informed us at just after 6am this morning that, despite best efforts and a new revised Chair's text overnight, consensus could not be reached.

#PlasticsTreaty

It is 5.30am in Geneva and the final #INC5.2 plenary is scheduled to resume.

The new revised Chair's text is many steps from being able to fully end plastic pollution, but it is a few steps in the right direction. Now we find out how countries will react.

#PlasticsTreaty #GlobalPlasticsTreaty

New revised Chair's text. Chemicals of concern are now explicitly mentioned, and majority voting is possible at COPs where consensus cannot be reached. But still no article on sustainable production and consumption.

#PlasticsTreaty #GlobalPlasticsTreaty #INC5.2

resolutions.unep.org/incres/uploa...

#INC5.2 final plenary started at 11.30pm and almost immediately adjourned until Friday, at a time to be announced. Informal negotiations still ongoing with a Heads of Delegation meeting starting at 2am.

#PlasticsTreaty #GlobalPlasticsTreaty

A group of people sat outside a large building with "Nations Unies" written on it.

Waiting for the final plenary of #INC5.2. Will it be this side of midnight?!

#GlobalPlasticsTreaty #PlasticsTreaty

A crowd watching a band perform on the shores of a lake, with the sun rising behind

Les Aubes - a series of free concerts every morning during summer from 6-7am on Bains des Pâquis. Completely free and the best bit is you can watch whilst enjoying your morning swim!

#INC5.2 #PlasticsTreaty #GlobalPlasticsTreaty

I escaped from the madness of #INC5.2 and Geneva with a day trip across the border to the Chamonix valley today. The (literal) high point of my walk was Lac de la Perseverance (photo 3), which seems a very suitably named lake to visit right now!

#GlobalPlasticsTreaty #PlasticsTreaty

"We have to think about who we're solving this problem for: the next generation & the environments we depend on."

Ben von Wong's brilliant, innovative art calling is calling on the world to #BeatPlasticPollution. Great to catch up with him at #INC5.2 as we continue negotiations on a #PlasticsTreaty

Today and tomorrow are crucial days, with tomorrow seeing a stock-taking plenary where it will become clearer how successful the bridging has been - what compromises have been made and what divergences remain.

#GlobalPlasticsTreaty #GlobalPlasticTreaty #INC5.2 #PlasticsTreaty #PlasticTreaty

🌍 There is strong support amongst member states and other delegates for a high-ambition Treaty. High ambition has the clear majority, though this obviously does not mean much if consensus is required.

🙋 There are rumours of strong support (around 120 countries) for an Article 20 (Conference of the Parties) that allows for majority voting (with 2/3rds threshold) if consensus cannot be reached.

But there are reasons for hope:
🤝 Reports from informal negotiations (closed to observers) hint at positive bridging proposals to bring negotiations back on track, particularly around Articles 3 (plastic products), 5 (product design), 7 (release and leakages) and 8 (plastic waste management).

Global producer responsibility for plastic pollution Branded plastic pollution is caused primarily by the largest producers of single-use and short-lived plastics.

⚠️ We have heard some serious disinformation, including that there is no link between plastic production and pollution (there is: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and that chemicals of concern are already well regulated in other agreements and out of scope (they are not: ikhapp.org/wp-content/u...)

🗑️ A small but vocal group of countries has since been pushing the message (and inserting the text) that this is a Treaty only about waste management, despite UNEA 5/14 mandating negotiation of a Treaty that is "based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic".

Why don't I think they are going well?

❌ Right from the opening plenary, Saudi Arabia objected to the presence of Article 6 on plastic production. Any hopes of a softening of the stance of the like minded group since INC-5.1 were straight out of the window.

Some reflections on the first few days of #INC5.2 negotations in Geneva, towards a #GlobalPlasticsTreaty.

Are the negotiations going well? Frankly, not really, though there are reasons for hope 👇

@ukceh.bsky.social
#PlasticsTreaty #PlasticTreaty #GlobalPlasticTreaty

Chemical pollution a threat comparable to climate change, scientists warn More than 100 million ‘novel entity’ chemicals are in circulation, with health impact not widely recognised

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

#INC5.2 is go!

Insightful screening of Homo Plasticus: Plastic Inside Us this evening, followed by an equally as insightful panel discussion. Lots of emerging evidence of the real health risks plastics pose to society, underpinning the need for a strong #GlobalPlasticsTreaty

#INC5.2 #PlasticsTreaty

A couple of pertinent points:
🔬 There is already *more than enough* science indicating that we need decisive action now
🧖‍♂️ It shouldn't be up to consumers to be vigilant to the presence of toxic chemicals in consumer products - they shouldn't be there

Panel discussion on "science and research for an effective instrument": strong support for science-based decisions free of conflicts of interest, and a need for transparency in not just Treaty processes, but the data needed to support it.

#INC5.2 #PlasticsTreaty
@bcarneyalmroth.bsky.social

Details and pictures of the four UKCEH scientists attending the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations under the heading Meet the UKCEH team at INC5.2

🌍 Advancing science to end plastic pollution:
UKCEH scientists are at the final Global Plastics Treaty talks this week as official Observers—ensuring negotiations are shaped by scientific evidence and expertise.

#PlasticsTreaty #INC5

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#INC5.2 Conversation with Observers starts with @ingerandersen.bsky.social highlighting that UNEA 5/14 mandated negotiations for a strong #PlasticsTreaty considering the full lifecycle of plastics, with safe and sustainable production.

#GlobalPlasticsTreaty