Artists, Activists Call For Global Plastics Treaty to End the Age of Plastic

Thirteen celebrated activists, athletes and actors from around the world have appeared in a video calling to end the age of plastic. The 90-second video from Greenpeace International aims to set the tone as the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations (INC3) resume at the United Nations Environment Programme headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, an activist and Indigenous leader, said: “End the age of plastic. Let us protect Indigenous Peoples. Our land in Africa is not a dumping ground."

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, ethologist and conservationist, said: “We need to end the age of plastic because it’s killing wildlife and because we can’t recycle our way out of the plastic crisis. We need to reduce plastic production.”

Nemonte Nenquimo, Waorani leader and winner of the 2020 Goldman Environmental Prize said:  “End the age of plastic. It contaminates our territory, it pollutes our rivers and our lands.”

Emmy Award-winning actor Lee Jung-Jae, known for his acclaimed role in the hit series Squid Game, also added his voice to the campaign and said: “Our planet doesn’t have a ‘replay’ button like we do in a game. A solid and strong Global Plastics Treaty is the only way to end the age of plastic.”

Other notable names include Celina Jaitly, William Shatner, and Janet Hsieh, who have joined Greenpeace’s campaign to pressure world leaders to agree on a strong Global Plastics Treaty that tackles the plastic pollution crisis at the source.

As a product of fossil fuels and toxic additives, plastic production – and its incineration – releases harmful toxins into the environment which contribute to rising temperatures globally, thus exacerbating the negative impacts of the climate crisis.

Hellen Kahaso Dena, Project Lead- Pan African Plastic Project for Greenpeace Africa said: “With African cities and coastlines drowning in waste, African leaders don’t have to look very far to understand that only a legally binding global plastics treaty that will end plastic pollution through a phase-out of plastic production will solve the plastic pollution crisis. Negotiations on this treaty are an opportunity to stop big polluters, slash plastic production and protect the human rights of Africans and our planet.”

Graham Forbes, Greenpeace Head of Delegation to the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations and Global Campaign Lead for Greenpeace USA, said: “The Global Plastics Treaty must cut total plastic production by at least 75% by 2040 to ensure that we are staying below 1.5° C for our climate and to protect our health, our rights and our communities. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to solve the plastics crisis. For the sake of our collective future, we cannot waste this moment.”

Over a thousand delegates, including ministers from governments all over the world, will convene to secure a legally binding Treaty. The UN has set a goal for the treaty to be negotiated by the end of 2024.