Attorney General James Calls on U.S. State Department to Take Action to Curb Plastic Pollution at United Nations Plastics Treaty Meeting

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a coalition of 10 attorneys general in calling for an ambitious, comprehensive, and legally-binding international agreement to mitigate global plastic pollution. In a letter sent to the U.S. Department of State (State Department), Attorney General James and the coalition applauded the U.S. delegation to the fifth session of the United Nations’ (UN) Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastics Pollution (INC-5) for its recent decision to support global limits on plastic production and to support the development of a global list of problematic chemicals and plastic products that should be phased out. In the letter, Attorney General James and the coalition call on the U.S. delegation to fight for bold policies to end plastic pollution, reject false solutions to the global climate crisis, and amplify the voices of frontline communities most harmed by plastic production at INC-5 in South Korea later this month.

In April 2024, Attorney General James called on the State Department to support these global targets, and in September 2024, the U.S. officially came out in support of production caps at the UN General Assembly. 

“Climate change poses an existential threat, and it is on all of us to combat it with urgent global action,” said Attorney General James. “I applaud our nation’s delegation to INC-5 for their support of a global plastics treaty that will establish meaningful caps on plastic production. I encourage the delegation to heed our additional recommendations so we can build toward a more sustainable future that protects our environment and the health of our communities.”

In March 2022, the UN passed a historic resolution to develop an international treaty on plastic pollution, crafted by INC. Since 2022, INC has held four negotiation sessions, with the fifth scheduled to take place this November in Busan, South Korea. In April 2024, Attorney General James and the coalition called on the State Department to support ambitious global limits on plastic production as part of the treaty. In August 2024, the State Department indicated its support for these limits on plastic production, as well as the creation of a list of harmful chemicals to phase out worldwide. Attorney General James and the coalition believe that this commitment is integral to ensuring INC reaches a groundbreaking global agreement to take on plastic pollution.

Every year, humans produce about 400 million tons of plastic waste, much of it the result of single-use plastic products. Since 1970, the rate of plastic production has grown faster than any other material and, at its current rate, global plastic pollution could triple by 2040. According to the UN, 98 percent of single-use plastic products are produced from fossil fuels and, by 2040, single-use plastics’ greenhouse gas emissions are forecasted to make up 19 percent of all global carbon emissions. In addition to the environmental impact, many of our discarded plastics end up in rivers, lakes, and oceans, which has devastating effects on fish and wildlife populations and, ultimately, threatens public health.

In the letter, the coalition also calls on the U.S. delegation to amplify the voices of frontline communities most harmed by plastic production at the upcoming INC-5 negotiations, including community members in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” who have called for an end to the public health and environmental injustices caused by plastic production in their communities. The coalition believes that by giving a voice to frontline community members at INC-5, the U.S. delegation can tackle these health inequities and fulfill the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to combat the social, economic, and public health impacts of plastic pollution that are felt disproportionately by low-income communities and communities of color. 

Attorney General James and the coalition further call on the U.S. to take action in response to the global plastic waste crisis, urging the delegation to:

• Ensure that the treaty addresses the impact of plastics from production to disposal; 
• Recognize that plastic pollution is closely linked to the global climate crisis;
• Reject false solutions to the plastic crisis, such as chemical recycling; 
• Prioritize the development of reuse systems; and 
• Support a scientific organization and funding to implement the treaty.

Such measures could significantly mitigate the environmental and public health harms associated with plastic and help build sustainable solutions for global communities. 

Joining Attorney General James in sending the letter are the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Ashley M. Gregor and Jennifer C. Simon, under the supervision of Senior Counsel for Air Pollution & Climate Change Litigation Michael Myers of the Environmental Protection Bureau. The Environmental Protection Bureau is led by Bureau Chief Lemuel M. Srolovic and is a part of the Division for Social Justice, led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.