#Plastic
Article·1 min read

The third Global Plastics Treaty negotiations are underway

Trevor Jones
Trevor Jones
Nov 15, 2023

Image © William Bradberry

The third round of UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations are currently underway in Nairobi!

First, the good news: Thanks to the tireless work of activists like you, the policies being debated by delegates have the potential to be robust and impactful. Some of the most promising areas include options to progressively reduce plastic production, eliminate toxic chemicals, and phase out short-lived and avoidable plastics.

Now for the bad news: There are still a LOT of places in the treaty language with “either/or” options that include weak policies. 

In many cases, world leaders are still deciding whether or not the world’s biggest polluters will be held legally accountable for the waste they’ll produce — or whether they can continue to operate without real accountability. We can’t allow that to happen.

This is where you come in. We urgently need your help to put as much pressure as possible on the delegates attending these consequential negotiations. Can you join the more than 200,000 people who have added their names to our petition demanding a strong Global Plastics Treaty?

Contributors

Trevor Jones

Senior Manager of Campaigns

Someone who loves to be both surrounded by people and isolated in nature, Trevor values the dualities within each of us and hopes to leave the world a better place than he found it.

New York, United States

only.one/trevor
#Wildlife·Mar 2, 2023
Article·1 min read

Panama announces major additions to marine protected areas

John Meisner

Another win for the world of ocean conservation was announced at the 2023 Our Ocean Conference in Panama City, Panama. President Laurentino Cortizo and the Minister of Environment of Panama, Milciades Concepción, formally signed a decree during the opening ceremony to significantly expand the Banco Volcán Area of Managed Resources. The area now includes more than 90,000 square kilometers of marine protection, with over half of it being placed under full protection. 

Concepción’s exact words were, “Therefore, as of today, through this conference, we announce that the Republic of Panama will be conserving 54.26% of its exclusive economic zone.” The announcement follows promises made last year at the 2022 United Nations Oceans Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, where the Panamanian government unveiled commitments to having at least 40% of its waters protected.

This news confirms Panama as the leading country in marine protection in Latin America. It also places it in the top echelon of countries pursuing commitments to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030. Panama now has over 50% of its waters under some form of protection, though not all are under high or full protection.

The newly expanded Banco Volcán Area of Managed Resources gives vital protection to several species of shark as well as over 120 other pelagic fish species. We applaud the Panamanian government for becoming a champion in ocean conservation. Nations like Panama set an example for the rest of the global community to follow in their footsteps as we continue down the path toward #Ocean30×30.

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