FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 15 August 2025
Geneva, Switzerland– The chair’s text, released in the middle of the night, is barely an improvement over the previous chair’s text that was decisively rejected by over 100 Member States just the night before. It is a weak text dependent on voluntary action, with no effective avenues to be strengthened over time. It lacks controls on production, meaning that the plastic pollution crisis will continue to grow exponentially. It lacks effective controls on chemicals of concern, restrictions on problematic and unnecessary products, and stringent transparency and traceability measures. It also lacks any appropriate means of implementation. This text is incapable of fulfilling the mandate.
This text is the product of a deeply flawed, undemocratic, and non-transparent process that disrespects and sidelines the vast majority of Member States, who want an effective treaty. Instead, a handful of obstructionist petrostates have warped the negotiation process, undermining multilateralism and preventing effective action.
GAIA urges Member States to reject this text. No deal is better than a bad deal.
Press contacts:
Global: Claire Arkin | Claire@no-burn.org | +1 (973) 444 4869
Regional:
Africa: Carissa Marnce | carissa@no-burn.org | +27 76 934 6156
Latin America: Camila Aguilera | Camila@no-burn.org | +56 9 8913 6198
Asia & the Pacific: Robi Kate Miranda | robi@no-burn.org I +63 927 585 4157
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GAIA is a worldwide alliance of more than 1,000 grassroots groups, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in over 90 countries. With our work we aim to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. We envision a just, zero waste world built on respect for ecological limits and community rights, where people are free from the burden of toxic pollution, and resources are sustainably conserved, not burned or dumped.
