City, Country – This summer, countries all over di world dey hustle to form one new global agreement to tackle di plastic wahala. Dem fit finally solve di problem from di root. No be just to clear di mess, but to stop di mess from being made for first place. But as usual, big corporate interest dey fight to maintain di status quo (abi na wetin dem sabi best?).
You fit think say na companies like Coca-Cola and Nestle wey dey catch craze for throwaway packaging go join di fight. But here’s di twist: dem companies don dey warm up for di matter – at least for now. Na di big boys wey dey pull di strings wey wan stop real progress. Why? Because plastic na dia Plan B!
As di world dey try waka away from burning fossil fuels for energy, di oil and gas companies dey beta on plastic to keep di cash flow coming. More plastic mean more demand for di products wey dem dey sell. And abeg, dem don dey make billions from di plastic business already.
Example? You fit sabi di British fossil fuel giant INEOS wey don get plenty attention during di fracking wahala for di 2010s. But wetin you no sabi be say dem too na di UK’s biggest plastic producer. Dem dey do everything possible to block progress (na like wahala wey dey try fix leak while person dey turn di tap full blast).
Fossil fuel interest don pack 220 lobbyists go di last round of negotiations. Abeg, dat one na more than all di EU countries wey dey there combined. Dem even outnumber di Indigenous Peoples’ caucus and di scientists’ coalition. Di lobbyists’ main mission? Block di one thing wey go actually work: cutting plastic production.
Dem dey fight hard against plastic reduction targets for negotiations, even though di public dey support am and scientists dey yan say e dey crucial. In di middle of official talks, dem dey use dia deep pockets to influence decision-makers through back channels and secret meetings. Outside di negotiation, dem dey run one slick PR campaign, funding small-scale projects to polish dia image while na so dem dey work to block any measure wey fit really tackle di problem.
International treaty negotiations fit feel far from our everyday life. But dis matter dey serious because di consequences dey around us. Plastic dey block our rivers, dey choke wildlife, and even dey show for our bodies. People wey dey live close to plastic production plants dey face toxic air and health risks. Meanwhile, plastic production dey pump out piles of pollution. Na disaster for di planet and for people.
As di elected negotiators dey try find solution, dem dey outgunned by corporate lobbyists wey just want business as usual. E no suppose be like dis. World Health Organization dey protect decisions from industry interference with dia tobacco treaty – so why plastic treaty no dey do di same?
Greenpeace no dey sit down dey look. From di negotiating rooms to di streets, we dey push for strong, binding treaty wey go include real cuts to plastic production. But government dey under serious pressure from fossil fuel interests. To fit stand chance, dem need to do dia job without interference from di companies wey dey cause di crisis.
If we fit remove dia influence, we go give di treaty real chance to end plastic pollution for good. Many Greenpeace supporters don dey stand up to di companies wey dey make mess and dey block efforts to clean am up. Go join dem! Sign di petition to ban fossil fuel lobbyists from plastic treaty negotiations before dem fit cause more damage.
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