Chair’s new treaty draft, ‘a gift to the plastic industry’ – Greenpeace to PH gov’t: Hold the line and champion a strong treaty

14 August 2025, Geneva, Switzerland/Quezon City, Philippines—As global ministers arrive to join the last day of the talks, the Chair has finally unveiled a new draft of the Global Plastics Treaty after seven days of grinding negotiations. 

Marian Ledesma, Greenpeace Philippines Zero Waste Campaigner and part of the Greenpeace delegation to the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, said:

“This is a betrayal to humanity. By failing to address production or harmful chemicals in any way, the Chair’s new draft is a gift to the fossil fuel and plastic industries. For more than two years, the overwhelming presence of industry lobbyists at the negotiations and the actions of their allied ‘blocker’ countries have mired the negotiations in substantive gridlock, along with procedural delays which played into industry hands. This new draft glorifies the industry lie that we can recycle our way out of this crisis, ignoring the root cause: the relentless expansion of plastic production.

“Now, more than ever, governments here in Geneva must reject this weak text, uphold the ambition they have promised, and serve the people who trusted them to act on the plastic crisis. Billions of people are counting on their leaders to protect the health of their communities and the environment, and human rights. It is imperative for the Philippine delegation, along with other high ambition countries, to stand their ground and stop this draft from turning into a mere waste management treaty that is nowhere near enough to end plastic pollution.

“We cannot allow industry lobbyists and a few countries to push their agenda while the planet burns, our oceans choke, and our children breathe, drink, and eat microplastics. We cannot let a few countries determine the direction of a treaty that is for everyone—the Philippine government must hold the line to ensure a safe and healthy future for Filipinos, one that’s free from the harms of plastic. We need a Global Plastics Treaty with ambitious production reduction targets, and phaseout of single-use plastics and upstream solutions such as reuse and refill systems. Anything short of bold action will make this treaty meaningless.”