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plastic pollution
Top 2024 Victories for People and Planet to Inspire Next Year’s Activism
Across the globe, people took bold steps to care for the planet; 2024 showed us the strength of coming together with purpose and passion.
Dec 31, 2024
Dear changemakers, thank you for all that you’ve done this year.
Reflecting on 2024, we endured yet another year filled with climate catastrophes, political unrest, and international inequality. But even through these challenging times we can find hope in our collective actions and victories, no matter how big or small. Together, we can pave the way forward towards a better future.
Dear Earth, thank you for continuing to show up every day for us.
Across the globe, people took bold steps to care for the planet. 2024 showed us the strength of coming together with purpose and passion. These efforts may not solve every challenge overnight, but they are the building blocks of creating lasting change.
Dear Earth citizens, we invite you to take moments to appreciate living on this planet.
The journey that we are on is a long one, so friends, take care of yourself as we heal the world together. What lies ahead may not be easy, but as we continue to show up, make our voices heard, and hold polluters accountable we must not forget to take care of ourselves, our peers and our communities.
Dear all, we hope that you’ll join us on this journey towards a better future, taking care of our planet, ourselves, and each other.
With courage as our compass and optimism as our fuel, here are some of the top victories of 2024 for people and the planet to inspire us to keep taking action.
United Kingdom: Shell Backs Down in Lawsuit Against Greenpeace
In February 2023, Shell launched a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Greenpeace U.K. and Greenpeace International over a peaceful protest. But with our supporters behind us, we showed Shell their bullying tactics won’t intimidate us—and now they’ve backed down and agreed to settle out of court. People power works—this campaign was fought with the support of thousands of ordinary people against one of the richest companies in the world.
This legal battle might be over, but Big Oil’s dirty tricks aren’t going away. With Greenpeace facing further lawsuits around the world, we won’t stop campaigning until the fossil fuel industry stops drilling and starts paying for the damage it is causing to people and the planet.
Norway: Arctic Deep-sea Mining Plans Stopped
Huge win for the ocean as Arctic deep-sea mining plans are stopped in Norway! After more than a year of decisive campaign work and massive pressure from activists, scientists, and the international community, the Norwegian government has agreed to stop the first licensing round for deep-sea mining in Arctic waters for at least the rest of their term in office, until the next election.
This is a major and important environmental victory which shows that mobilization and people power works.
Indonesia: Measures to Regulate Labor Standards for Fishing Vessels Adopted
After years of discussions, rejections, objections, and negotiations involving governments, civil society organizations including Greenpeace Indonesia, and unions representing migrant fishers, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) finally adopted the Conservation and Management Measures (CMM) for Crew Labor Standards on December 3, 2024.
The WCPFC oversees fish population management, promotes sustainable fishing practices, and implements conservation measures. This decision underscores their commitment to ensure the well-being of crew in an industry that suffers from serious labour abuses.
Oceans: Deep-Sea Miners’ Efforts to Limit the Right to Protest at Sea Rejected
Over the last year, The Metals Company and its enablers have repeatedly tried to silence the global wave of resistance. After failing to get an injunction that stopped the action at sea, and unsuccessfully lobbying governments to limit protests around deep-sea mining vessels at the International Seabed Authority in March, the company pursued an appeal at the Amsterdam Court of Appeal to try and secure immunity against future Greenpeace protests at sea. But thanks to the incredible work of Greenpeace International’s legal unit, on November 12, 2024, the court ruled once more in our favor, reaffirming our right to peaceful protest at sea.
Brazil: Sawré Muybu Territory Officially Demarcated
On September 25, 2024, the Sawré Muybu territory in the Tapajós River Basin in the heart of the Amazon rainforest was officially demarcated. The Munduruku People have been fighting for the rights to a land that has always belonged to them but is threatened by mining, illegal logging, and infrastructure projects. This is a historic and profoundly symbolic victory not only for the Munduruku, but for all Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon and Brazil.
South Korea: Top Court Ruled the Country’s Carbon Neutrality Law as Unconstitutional
On 29 August 2024, South Korea’s Constitutional Court ruled the country’s carbon neutrality law as unconstitutional for violating citizen’s rights—making it the first ruling of its kind in Asia! The petition was filed in 2020 by over 200 plaintiffs, including young activists and even infants, and is Asia’s first climate court case targeting a country’s carbon neutrality commitments. This is a major climate win for future generations, and could potentially set a precedent in the region for other climate cases.
Australia: Woolworths and McDonald’s Commit to Going Deforestation-Free
Woolworths and McDonald’s in Australia announced their commitments to source deforestation-free beef. Woolworths will do so by the end of 2025 but McDonald’s will implement theirs by 2030 (Greenpeace Australia Pacific will continue to engage with McDonald’s to ensure they commit to taking deforestation off the menu—by 2025!). These two giant corporations are some of Australia’s biggest retailers and major buyers of Australian beef.
This is a major example of people power as Greenpeace Australia Pacific supporters had sent the big corporations thousands of emails, demanding they go deforestation-free.
Global: Breakthrough for Global Tax Justice
In a big win for global tax justice, a favourable blueprint for a UN Tax Convention that will pave the way for a fair and efficient global tax system was laid out in August. An inclusive tax cooperation system will shift power from a few rich OECD countries to the UN where every country has a vote and help governments around the world recover the billions lost to tax dodging by multinational corporations and the ultra-rich. There is still much to do to keep up the pressure as negotiations will continue until 2027.
South Africa: Shell Loses Appeal in Case Halting Plans for Oil and Gas Exploration
Big win against Shell in South Africa! After protests by the community and fishers, Shell loses its appeal against the landmark decision in 2022 which ruled against their plans to conduct oil and gas exploration off the Wild Coast of South Africa. The court says Shell failed to properly inform and consult affected communities, taking into account community rights and environmental harm. Unfortunately, the fight is not yet over as the court has left the door open for Shell’s application to renew its exploration right. Together with allies and the community, Greenpeace Africa is resolute in continuing to fight to stop Big Oil from exploiting the planet for its own profit.
Papua: Major Land Rights Win for Indigenous Peoples
On June 6, 4,000 Indigenous Papuans finally received legal recognition of customary rights over 97,411 hectares of tropical rainforests in South Sorong Regency. The newly recognised Indigenous lands of the Knasaimos Peoples spans an area almost the size of Hong Kong.
As with many Indigenous communities across Tanah Papua (the western half of New Guinea, also known internationally as West Papua), the Knasaimos Peoples have been fighting for decades to protect their customary lands from exploitation by external interests such as logging and plantation companies. This ruling finally provides legal recognition of their rights to the land, forests, water, and other natural resources that are their ancestral heritage.
Oceans: World’s Highest Oceans Court Ruling to Protect Our Oceans
In a historic Advisory Opinion, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the world’s highest oceans court, found that greenhouse gas emissions are a form of marine pollution and countries are obligated to reduce emissions for the sake of our oceans. The ruling is a huge victory in the protection and preservation of the marine environment.
Europe: European Nature Restoration Law Passed
The European Nature Restoration Law was passed and has come into effect! This law is the most important piece of environmental legislation in Europe in decades, aiming to restore and protect European biodiversity hotspots. It imposes unprecedented legally binding obligations onto E.U. Member States to restore protected nature reserves, peatlands, and dwindling bird and pollinator populations, and protect urban nature amongst others. This is a huge win for the nature movement in Europe!
Switzerland: Historic Court Win Confirms That Climate Protection Is a Human Right
The Association of Senior Women for Climate Protection Switzerland, also known as the KlimaSeniorinnen, took action against their country, Switzerland, for violating the seniors’ human rights by failing to set sufficient climate targets. On April 9, they received the landmark decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), achieving a historic victory for all generations. The ruling is an iconic moment for climate justice globally, confirming that climate protection is a human right.
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Latest Plastics Treaty Draft 'Far From What We Need' as Talks Near Deadline
"Despite the majority support of promising proposals for global product and chemical bans, the latest draft treaty text offers nothing of use," one advocate said.
Nov 29, 2024
As negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty enter their final stretch in Busan, South Korea, environmental and human rights advocates warned Friday that national delegates are "sleepwalking into a treaty that will not be worth the paper it will be written on."
The current treaty draft text, shared with delegates on Friday, excludes key civil society demands, such as a clear and binding limit on plastic production and a ban or phaseout of the most dangerous plastics and chemicals.
"Despite the majority support of promising proposals for a strong and binding treaty on plastic pollution, what we have currently in this text is far from what we need," Erin Simon, WWF vice president and head of plastic waste and business, said in a statement.
"A weak treaty based on voluntary measures will break under the weight of the plastic crisis and will lock us into an endless cycle of unnecessary harm."
A majority of the countries gathered for the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) to advance a plastics treaty supports bans on the most dangerous plastics and chemicals, binding rules on production design to ease a transition toward a circular economy, sufficient financial support to make the treaty a reality, and a robust mechanism to strengthen the treaty over time. They are backed by nearly 3 million people in more than 182 countries who signed a petition ahead of the last round of negotiations calling for an ambitious treaty.
Since negotiations began on November 25, however, progress has been stymied by oil-and-gas-producing nations such as Saudi Arabia, which called capping plastic production a red line, according toThe Associated Press. At the same time, plastics industry lobbyists together make up the largest single delegation at the talks.
"It's very simple: To end plastic pollution we need to reduce plastic production," Simon said. "To do that we need binding global bans on specific harmful plastic products and chemicals. Despite the majority support of promising proposals for global product and chemical bans, the latest draft treaty text offers nothing of use."
In order to bridge the gap on limiting plastics production before negotiations conclude on Sunday or Monday, Panama put forward a proposal on Thursday that would not set a numerical plastics production limit at this time, but would entrust signatories to do so at a later meeting. This proposal was backed by over 100 countries and was included in the draft text shared on Friday, alongside an option to eliminate the article on production.
Juan Carlos Monterrey, the head of Panama's delegation, saw the inclusion of the country's proposal as a step in the right direction.
"This is great! This is great," Monterrey told the AP. "It is a big show of force, of muscle, for those countries that are ambitious. And also this shows that consensus is still possible."
However, Monterey acknowledged to Reuters that his offering was a compromise.
"Most of the countries... came here with the idea of including a numeric target (of plastic reduction), but... we have put forth a proposal that not only crosses but stomped our own red lines... So we're seeking all the other delegations that have not moved a centimeter to... meet us halfway."
Environmental advocates and civil society groups warn that delegates should not chase consensus at the expense of ambition.
Graham Forbes, who leads Greenpeace's delegation, told the AP that the draft was a "weak attempt to force us to reach a conclusion and get a treaty for treaty's sake," though he considered the inclusion of Panama's proposal the one bright spot in the text.
In addition to the question of binding production limits, another sticking point is a ban on particularly harmful plastics and additives, which currently has not made it into the treaty language.
"What we have right now isn't a treaty with common rules at all. It's a list of measures so broad that they're effectively meaningless," WWF's Simon explained. "For example, we don't have bans, we have suggestions. We have lists of products and chemicals but no one is compelled to do anything of substance with them. Without political will to bind those articles, we would have zero chance of ending the plastic crisis, which is what we came to Busan to do."
Some countries as well as plastics industry representatives argue that the treaty is not the proper vehicle to regulate chemicals.
"At this point the progressive majority has a decision to be made," Simon argued. "Agree to a treaty among the willing even if that means leaving some countries that don't want a strong treaty or concede to countries that will likely never join the treaty anyway, failing the planet in the process."
WWF's global plastics policy lead Eirik Lindebjerg added: "We are calling on countries to not accept the low level of ambition reflected in this draft as it does not contain any specific upstream measures such as global bans on high risk plastic products and chemicals of concern supported by the majority of countries. Without these measures the treaty will fail to meaningfully address plastic pollution. High ambition countries must ensure that these measures are part of the final treaty text or develop an ambitious treaty among the willing."
On Friday, a coalition of observing civil society groups held a press conference in which they issued a statement making a final call for an ambitious treaty.
"Contrary to their excuses, ambitious countries have the power and the pathways to forge a treaty to end the global plastic crisis," the statement, signed by groups including WWF, Greenpeace, Break Free From Plastic, and Friends of the Earth, said. "What we are severely lacking right now, however, is the determination of our leaders to do what is right and to fight for the treaty they promised the world two years ago."
It continued: "A weak treaty based on voluntary measures will break under the weight of the plastic crisis and will lock us into an endless cycle of unnecessary harm. The clear demand from impacted communities and the overwhelming majority of citizens, scientists, and businesses for binding global rules across the entire lifecycle is irrefutable."
The signatories also said that ambitious nations should be willing to walk away and craft their own, stronger treaty rather than compromise on a weak document.
"In these final throes of negotiations, we need governments to show courage. They must not compromise under pressure exerted by a small group of low-ambition states and hinge the life of our planet on unachievable consensus," they concluded. "We demand a strong treaty that protects our health and the health of future generations."
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President Biden Must Not Retreat on Plastics
Backtracking on promises to support plastic production reduction in the final months of his presidency would be a stain on his record.
Nov 28, 2024
United States environmental policy has not been a consistent straight line; that much, everyone can agree on. As national leadership oscillates between Democrats and Republicans, policies have switched from embracing fossil fuels to supporting the clean energy transition and back again and again.
One recent switch on environmental policy within the soon-to-concluded Biden administration took place in April, when the U.S. endorsed global limits on plastic production, which are desperately needed to protect people from toxic chemicals and climate change. And then, following political defeat, the administration backtracked with no real explanation, abandoning the millions of Americans and people around the world who are desperate for change.
In a moment when the U.S. and the world are confronting exponential uncertainty, now is not the time for the Biden administration to go quietly into the night.
In this final push, the Biden administration must support measures to limit plastic production, prioritize a human-rights approach, and reduce or eliminate toxic chemicals in plastics.
As we approach the end of the final round of negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty—which represents one of the most significant opportunities of our lifetime to protect human health and end plastic pollution—the urgency has never been clearer. This is our chance to confront the plastic crisis head-on.
With a new administration on the horizon—one that has shown hostility toward science and an affinity for corporate polluters—the Biden-Harris administration must, as one of its final acts, stick to its word and champion a robust treaty that cuts plastic production.
Plastics are making the climate crisis worse—99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels and corporations keep making more. To date, it is estimated that only 9% of all the plastic ever produced has been recycled globally, and production is projected to increase in the years to come. We will never be able to solve this crisis with just waste management and cleanups.
In the lead-up to the presidential election, Americans witnessed the devastating effects of climate change firsthand: Florida and North Carolina were battered by unprecedented storms, droughts parched vast regions of the country, and wildfires raged uncontrollably. This past summer was the hottest on record, with global temperatures soaring 2.25°F above the long-term average.
Scientists warn that we need to cut plastic production by at least 75% to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. The United Nations has echoed this urgency, stating that global climate action is lagging and that immediate, dramatic efforts are essential to meet international temperature targets.
Plastic is also harmful at every step of its life cycle, from sourcing raw materials (like oil, gas, and coal) to production, transportation, usage, recycling, burning, and disposal. The chemicals in plastic have been linked to death, illness, and disability.
More than 3,200 identified chemicals found in plastics have been associated with severe health concerns, including cancer, nervous system disorders, and hormonal imbalances. These chemicals have been implicated in the development of diseases such as cancer, heart conditions, and obesity.
In addition to the immediate dangers of oil and gas-fueled climate chaos, countless Americans unknowingly face a silent crisis: plastic pollution. They consume food and water contaminated with microplastics and harmful chemicals that pose serious health risks. Communities located near plastic production and disposal facilities suffer the most, breathing air laden with toxins that lead to cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders, and other health issues. This public health crisis comes with an estimated annual cost of $250 billion to our healthcare system—a toll exacerbated by the plastic industry's recalcitrance to stop runaway plastic production.
Yet, as we close out 2024 and brace for an uncertain future under an administration that openly denies science, headed by a president who has often dismissed climate change and its impacts, there remains much that President Joe Biden can do. After all, he has built his career on a commitment to public service; backtracking on promises to support global controls to reduce plastic production, in the final months of his presidency, would be a stain on that record. Now is the time to serve all Americans by rising to this challenge, and securing a greener, more just world for generations to come.
We stand at a pivotal moment: the Busan talks—the fifth and most critical stage of negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty. World leaders must rise to the occasion and take bold action to curtail plastic production and end single-use plastics. A weak treaty is a failure; we need a strong, ambitious agreement that protects our health, our communities, our climate, and our planet.
In this final push, the Biden administration must support measures to limit plastic production, prioritize a human-rights approach, and reduce or eliminate toxic chemicals in plastics. We call on him to champion our planet, our communities, and our health for generations to come. The time for action is now. Our future depends on it.
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