Posted on April, 28 2024

On April 22nd in Ottawa, the event Partnerships Day brought together leaders from national and sub-national governments, Indigenous Peoples, scientists, youth, women, local communities, and the businesses and finance sector to raise the ambition of the global plastic pollution treaty and demonstrate the need for unity in the week ahead.

The Partnerships Day — co-hosted by the Government of Canada and WWF — coincided with Earth Day and took place ahead of the official start of the fourth negotiation meeting on a global plastic pollution treaty (INC-4).

Participants stressed the necessity of a comprehensive, legally binding treaty that addresses all aspects of the plastic lifecycle, from production to disposal. Speakers also relayed the sense of urgency in tackling this escalating global crisis, underpinned by the fact that in a business-as-usual scenario, plastic pollution could triple by 2040.

“This is the year to seize the opportunity to finalise this international agreement on plastic pollution, a once-in-a-generation moment to create a world free of plastic pollution,”
– Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Canada.

“When there is something worthwhile being done, there is one and only one reason it gets done - people of courage, people of conviction, people of commitment come together with the will to get it done.” – Dr. Adil Najam, President, WWF-International

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The INC-4 will take place 23-29. April in Ottawa, Canada.

To read more about the INC and access related resources, visit our resource page.
For more information on the treaty, click here.