The first global plastics treaty

High-level officials from more than 170 countries are in Switzerland right now to finalise the first legally binding treaty on plastics. Negotiations began in 2022, when the United Nations Environment Assembly – the world's highest decision-making body on the environment – agreed on the need to address the environmental and health impacts of plastic pollution and waste.

Since then, five negotiation sessions have failed to reach a consensus. This time, protesters outside the UN are calling for “courage, not compromise”. But with a record number of fossil fuel lobbyists attending the latest round of talks in Geneva, there are concerns that global efforts could stall further.

Dr Nicholas Chartres is a senior research fellow with the University of Sydney’s faculty of medicine and health. As a leading authority on the health impacts of plastic pollution and microplastics, he is part of a group of experts who’ve made several recommendations for the UN Plastics Treaty.

Nick joins us for today’s deep dive to unpack everything you need to know about these negotiations and the current state of play.

Hosts: Emma Gillespie and Billi FitzSimons
Guest: Dr Nicholas Chartres, Senior Research Fellow, The University of Sydney
Producer: Orla Maher

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