Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Unilever and Ikea are among over 70 brands that released a joint business statement calling for a global pact to fight plastic pollution, including reducing material production. 

World leaders will gather at a United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) conference this year to negotiate on a treaty against plastic waste. With the backing of almost two-thirds of UN Member States, the group believes it is time to start intergovernmental negotiations:

“A new UN treaty is crucial to set a high common standard of action for all countries to abide by, and to drive the transition to a circular economy for plastics globally and at scale. This requires governments to align on regulatory measures that cover the whole life cycle of plastics, not limiting the scope of negotiations to address waste management challenges only”, says the statement.

According to Reuters, it is not yet clear whether any agreement will focus on waste management and recycling or whether tougher measures will be taken, such as curbing plastic production, a measure that would likely face resistance from major oil and chemical companies and major producing countries, like the United States.

The list of signatories includes consumer goods companies like Unilever and Nestlé, which sell a multitude of single-use plastic products, as well as retailer Walmart and French bank BNP Paribas.

“We are at a critical point in time to establish an ambitious UN treaty that fosters collaboration for systemic solutions and speeds up the transition to a circular economy globally”, signatories alert.

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Source: Plastic Pollution Treaty