ESDO’s statement at 1st session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-1).

On behalf of ESDO and as a participant organization of IPEN, Executive Director of ESDO Siddika Sultana intervened on the 4th day of the INC Session. She focused on other aspects, including scientific and technical cooperation and coordination, research, and awareness raising. In her statement, she urged INC to adopt the precautionary principle in making decisions to prevent the harms of plastics and their associated chemicals. It is also important that this INC, as well as the Plastics Treaty, work with the independent scientific community and have access to the best available science, free from the influence of corporate interests.

The statement states that the scientific community will be a crucial stakeholder in supporting the INC in its work, including by providing scientific evidence on how to:

● Reduce the amounts of plastics produced;

● Substitute and eliminate plastics containing hazardous polymers and additives, and;

● Assess technologies that are currently, without any scientific basis or independent evaluations, promoted as quick fixes to plastic pollution.