Late last night, after two weeks of intense negotiations, delegates meeting at the United Nations finally agreed to language for a High Seas Treaty. This is a major milestone in a nearly two-decade effort to secure a treaty to govern and protect the High Seas, which make up 70% of the ocean and cover nearly half the planet. More than 160,000 supporters spoke up and urged leaders to act. This public support, along with the great work of partners like RISE UP, the High Seas Alliance, Greenpeace, and more, helped show decision-makers that people all over the world were watching and wanted action — and they delivered. There is still more work to do, as nations will now need to formally adopt the language and ratify the treaty at the country level. We will continue to keep you updated on campaign developments and the critical moments where we need your support.
Update: Only One and the Shell Accountability Coalition made our first petition delivery in Beaver County on June 8th, 2023. Combined with petitions from Friends of the Earth and Earthworks, we delivered more than 60,000 total signatures to the Beaver County Commissioners. Shell just turned on a massive industrial plastics complex in Western Pennsylvania that risks poisoning the local air and water. Add your name to urge Shell to implement basic health and safety measures to protect the surrounding communities from danger.
The decision to turn on the petrochemical facility — which converts fossil fuels into single-use plastic products — comes despite fierce opposition from local Beaver County residents to prevent the plant’s 24 hour pollution cycle from contaminating the Ohio River and surrounding community.
The Shell facility utilizes a similar process to create plastic as the facilities that line the banks of Cancer Alley — a corridor along the Mississippi river so toxic that the risk of cancer for residents is up to 50 times higher than the rest of the country.
