Oil & Plastics Lobbyists Outnumber These Groups At UN Conference: Scientists, Tribal Members, All Eu Delegates

More than 200 industry lobbyists are attending the UN’s meeting to hammer out a global plastics treaty, raising fears that moves to prevent runaway plastic production may be undermined. The 234 lobbyists from the oil, petrochemical and plastics industries outnumber the combined delegations of all 27 EU member states, and far exceed the number of people attending with the delegation of scientists as well as Indigenous peoples at the Geneva talks.

The analysis, from the Centre for International Environmental Law (Ciel), also found 19 lobbyists sit on the national delegations of Egypt, Kazakhstan, China, Iran, Chile and the Dominican Republic.

“Fossil fuel companies are central to plastic production, as over 99% of plastics are derived from chemicals sourced from fossil fuels,” said Ximena Banegas, Ciel’s global plastics and petrochemicals campaigner. “After decades of obstruction in the climate negotiations, why would anyone think that they would suddenly show up in good faith in the plastics treaty talks?”

The figure was revealed on day three of a two-week resumed meeting to achieve an agreement on the vast global problem of runaway plastic production and waste. The numbers of lobbyists attending the talks has been rising steadily since the process started in 2022, alongside deepening rifts between nations.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/07/more-than-200-lobbyists-at-uns-plastic-treaty-talks-will-limit-progress-campaigners-warn