After two weeks of negotiations between more than 50 countries, the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) ended last Friday without establishing a High Seas Treaty — once again leaving more than two-thirds of the global ocean unprotected. But important progress was also made, which the Only One community of supporters has helped push for. World leaders are closer than ever before to finalizing the treaty, and there’s reason to be optimistic that the next negotiation will be the last step in the nearly two-decades–long process. We can’t let up the pressure now, and we need you with us! Can you help build momentum for the coalition to protect the High Seas by sharing our petition with your network? We’re just shy of our goal of 75,000 signatures.
What you need to know
Shell, a notorious global oil giant, recently turned on a massive new facility on the Pennsylvania side of the Ohio River Valley. The pollution from this new complex — which converts oil into single-use plastic products — threatens residents’ health, environment, and entire way of life in the Ohio River Valley.
This Shell plant has already been charged with more than a dozen safety violations this year, and had to pay a $10 million fine. Meanwhile, local government officials failed to produce an acceptable emergency preparedness plan and even canceled a town hall event that community members organized for residents to share their concerns.
