STORY: :: Greenpeace protesters board a plastic chemical tanker during the UN plastic talks
:: Greenpeace
:: Off the coast of South Korea
:: November 30, 2024
:: Lisa Ramsden, Greenpeace USA
“We have come today to urge the world leaders who are negotiating the final draft of the Global Plastics Treaty in Busan to take this once in a generation opportunity and secure a strong global plastic agreement that will cut plastic production. We want our governments to listen to the opinions of the public, science and businesses in progress, and deliver the agreement it breaks down plastic production.”
A video released by Greenpeace showed four protesters, equipped with safety gear, climbing a tanker carrying plastic chemicals from a South Korean company. Demonstrators climbed masts to hold a banner that read “power plastic agreement”. Greenpeace activists were also seen painting a message reading “plastic kills” on the outside of the tank.
South Korea is hosting delegates from 175 countries at the fifth and final meeting of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) to agree on binding global rules on plastics, but this week’s talks have moved at a frosty pace.
The document explaining the agreement, presented by the chairman of the committee Luis Vayas Valdivieso on Friday (November 29), contained proposals such as a global list of plastic products to be monitored and a financial mechanism to help developing countries finance the agreement. It left to other countries voluntary decisions to take as many measures as possible on plastic products and it left unclear how rich countries would contribute to the fund.