UN GLOBAL PLASTIC TREATY IS IN JEOPARDY but we can all help

A message from the Rev. Dr. Rachel Mash
Anglican Communion Environmental Network coordinator

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Happy Easter! Christ is Risen! Hallelujah.

We would like to ask for your urgent support to help protect the UN Global Plastic Treaty.

The UN Environmental Assembly passed a resolution calling for a global legally binding plastic treaty. This is our once in a life-time opportunity to make a significant difference to the huge problem of single-use plastic. The goal of the treaty is to put a cap on the production of plastic (A “Paris Agreement” for plastic) as well as putting in regulations that get rid of toxic plastic and plastics which are prohibitively expensive to recycle.

But some fossil fuel companies are now pushing back on the treaty – arguing that they should increase plastic production because “poor people need single use plastic.” This is in parallel with predicted drop in oil sales (used to make plastics) as electronic vehicles become more popular.

The Anglican Communion UN team has prepared a letter which we would like to send to as many national negotiators and Ministers of Environment as possible – encouraging them ahead of upcoming UN negotiations on plastic production.

In this letter we show that plastic is particularly damaging for people living in poverty and explain why we should continue to reduce production and accelerate a just transition away from single-use and harmful plastics.

Our request is that you send the attached letter to your national negotiator, who will be displayed in this list https://www.unep.org/inc-plastic-pollution/national-focal-points, with a covering letter either from you or from your bishop or archbishop. If the covering letter comes from you, please also inform your bishop or archbishop that you are making this contact. If possible, you could also email the attached and a covering letter to your National Minister for the Environment. Your bishop or archbishop may have a direct contact – please ask them before going further. If they do not, you can google for the Minister’s email address.

The next round of negotiations begin in Canada on the 23^rd of April, so we would love the letters to go out by the 15^th of April please at the latest. If possible can you also cc me and Martha Jarvis so that we can see which countries were reached.

Many thanks and God bless, 

Rev Rachel Mash (ACEN coordinator)
The Very Rev. Ken Gray (ACEN-Canada)
Martha Jarvis, Anglican Communion Permanent Representative to the United Nations; The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Personal Representative to the United Nations