Plastic Pollution, International Treaties, and Dirty Deals

Plastic pollution is a problem still looking for a solution. Despite five sessions since 2022 of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) as part of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), significant progress towards an agreement that reconciles the requirements of consumers, the environment, and the plastics industry remains elusive.

Amy Youngman is a Netherlands-based lawyer and legal policy analyst for the Environmental Investigation Agency’s (EIA) Ocean and Plastic Campaigns. Youngman works on the global plastics policy team to secure a legally binding international instrument to end plastic pollution.

“Our organization has been involved in securing the mandate to create the Global Plastics Treaty and has attended all of the INC meetings,” said Youngman. “I joined right after the first INC, and it’s been an exciting two years negotiating this treaty.”