Planetary boundaries: Confronting the global crisis of land degradation; Potsdam institute report opens UNCCD COP 16

Land degradation undermining Earth’s capacity to sustain humanity; Failure to reverse it will pose challenges for generations; 7 of 9 planetary boundaries are negatively impacted by unsustainable land use, highlighting land’s central role in Earth sys

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

 

image: 

The report, Stepping back from the precipice: Transforming land management to stay within planetary boundaries, produced at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in collaboration with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, is launched as nearly 200 member states begin the UNCCD COP16 summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

 

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Credit: PIK/UNCCD

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – A major new scientific report charts an urgent course correction for how the world grows food and uses land in order to avoid irretrievably compromising Earth’s capacity to support human and environmental wellbeing.   

Produced under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in collaboration with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the report is launched as nearly 200 UNCCD member states kick off their COP 16 summit on Monday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Land is the foundation of Earth’s stability, regulating climate, preserving biodiversity and maintaining freshwater systems. It provides life-giving resources including food, water and raw materials, says the report, Stepping back from the precipice: Transforming land management to stay within planetary boundaries, which draws on roughly 350 information sources(*) to examine land degradation and opportunities to act from a planetary boundaries perspective.

Deforestation, urbanization and unsustainable farming, however, are causing global land degradation at an unprecedented scale, threatening not only different Earth system components but human survival itself.

Moreover, the deterioration of forests and soils undermines Earth’s capacity to cope with the climate and biodiversity crises, which in turn accelerate land degradation in a vicious, downward cycle of impacts.

“If we fail to acknowledge the pivotal role of land and take appropriate action, the consequences will ripple through every aspect of life and extend well into the future, intensifying difficulties for future generations,” said UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw. 

Already today, land degradation disrupts food security, drives migration, and fuels conflicts.

The global area impacted by land degradation – approx. 15 million km², more than the entire continent of Antarctica or nearly the size of Russia  – is expanding each year by about a million square km.

Planetary boundaries

The report, available for download post-embargo at www.unccd.int and https://bit.ly/3V5SaY7, situates both problems and potential solutions related to land use within the scientific framework of the planetary boundaries, which has rapidly gained policy relevance since its unveiling 15 years ago. 

The planetary boundaries define nine critical thresholds essential for maintaining Earth’s stability. How humanity uses or abuses land directly impacts seven of these, including climate change, species loss and ecosystem viability, freshwater systems, and the circulation of naturally occurring elements nitrogen and phosphorus. Change in land use is also a planetary boundary.   

Alarmingly, six boundaries have already been breached to date, and two more are close to their thresholds: ocean acidification and the concentration of aerosols in the atmosphere. Only stratospheric ozone – the object of a 1989 treaty to reduce ozone-depleting chemicals – is firmly within its “safe operating space”. 

“The aim of the planetary boundaries framework is to provide a measure for achieving human wellbeing within Earth’s ecological limits,” said Johan Rockström, lead author of the seminal study introducing the concept in 2009. 

“We stand at a precipice and must decide whether to step back and take transformative action, or continue on a path of irreversible environmental change,” he adds.

The benchmark for land use, for example, is the extent of the world’s forests before significant human impact. Anything above 75% keeps us within safe bounds, but forest cover has already been reduced to only 60% of its original area, according to the most recent update of the planetary boundaries framework by Katherine Richardson and colleagues.

Until recently, land ecosystems absorbed nearly one third of human-caused CO₂ pollution, even as those emissions increased by half.  

Over the last decade, however, deforestation and climate change have reduced by 20% the capacity of trees and soil to absorb excess CO₂.

Unsustainable agricultural practices

Conventional agriculture is the leading culprit of land degradation, contributing to deforestation, soil erosion and pollution. Unsustainable irrigation practices deplete freshwater resources, while excessive use of nitrogen- and phosphorus-based fertilizers destabilize ecosystems.

Degraded soils lower crop yields and nutritional quality, directly impacting the livelihoods of vulnerable populations. Secondary effects include greater dependency on chemical inputs and increased land conversion for farming.

The infamous Dust Bowl of the 1930s resulted from large-scale land-use changes and inadequate soil conservation. 

Land degradation hotspots today stem from intensive agricultural production and high irrigation demands, particularly in dry regions such as South Asia, northern China, the US High Plains, California, and the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, climate change – which has long since breached its own planetary boundary – accelerates land degradation through extreme weather events, prolonged droughts, and intensified floods. Melting mountain glaciers and altered water cycles heighten vulnerabilities, especially in arid regions.

Rapid urbanization intensifies these challenges, contributing to habitat destruction, pollution, and biodiversity loss.

The impacts of land degradation hit tropical and low-income countries disproportionately, both because they have less resilience and because impacts are concentrated in tropical and arid regions. Women, youth, Indigenous peoples, and local communities also bear the brunt of environmental decline. Women face increased workloads and health risks, while children suffer from malnutrition and educational setbacks.

Weak governance and corruption exacerbate these challenges. Corruption fosters illegal deforestation and resource exploitation, perpetuating cycles of degradation and inequality.

According to the Prindex initiative, nearly one billion people lack secure land tenure, with the highest concentration in north Africa (28%), sub-Saharan Africa (26%), as well as South and Southeast Asia. The fear of losing one’s home or land undermines efforts to promote sustainable practices. 

Agricultural subsidies often incentivize harmful practices, fueling overuse of water and biogeochemical imbalances. Aligning these subsidies with sustainability goals is critical for effective land management.

From 2013 to 2018, more than half-a-trillion dollars were spent on such subsidies across 88 countries, a report by FAO, UNDP and UNEP found in 2021.  Nearly 90% went to inefficient, unfair practices that harmed the environment, according to that report. 

Transformative action

Transformative action to combat land degradation is needed to ensure a return to the safe operating space for the land-based planetary boundaries. Just as the planetary boundaries are interconnected, so must be the actions to prevent or slow their transgression.

Principles of fairness and justice are key when designing and implementing transformative actions to stop land degradation, ensuring that benefits and burdens are equitably distributed.

Agriculture reform, soil protection, water resource management, digital solutions, sustainable or “green” supply chains, equitable land governance along with the protection and restoration of forests, grasslands, savannas and peatlands are crucial for halting and reversing land and soil degradation.

Regenerative agriculture is primarily defined by its outcomes, including improved soil health, carbon sequestration and biodiversity enhancement. Agroecology emphasises holistic land management, including the integration of forestry, crops and livestock management. 

Woodland regeneration, no-till farming, nutrient management, improved grazing, water conservation and harvesting, efficient irrigation, intercropping, organic fertiliser, improved use of compost and biochar – can all enhance soil carbon and boost yields.

Savannas are under severe threat from human-induced land degradation, yet are essential for ecological and human wellbeing. A major store of biodiversity and carbon, they cover 20% of the Earth’s land surface but are increasingly being lost to cropland expansion and misguided afforestation. 

The current rate of groundwater extraction exceeds replenishment in 47% of global aquifers, so more efficient irrigation is crucial to reduce agricultural freshwater use. 

Globally, the water sector must continue to shift from “grey” infrastructure (dams, reservoirs, channels, treatment plants) to “green” (reforestation, floodplain restoration, forest conservation or recharging aquifers).

More efficient delivery of chemical fertilizer is likewise essential: currently, only 46% of nitrogen and 66% of phosphorus applied as fertilizer is taken up by crops. The rest runs off into freshwater bodies, and coastal areas with dire consequences for the environment.

New technologies

New technologies coupled with big data and artificial intelligence have made possible innovations such as precision farming, remote sensing and drones that detect and combat land degradation in real time. Benefits likewise accrue from the precise application of water, nutrients and pesticides, along with early pest and disease detection.

Plantix, a free app available in 18 languages, can detect nearly 700 pests and diseases on more than 80 different crops. Improved solar cookstoves can provide households with additional income sources and improve livelihoods, while reducing reliance on forest resources.

Regulatory action, stronger land governance, formalisation of land tenure and better corporate transparency on environmental impacts are all needed as well. 

Numerous multilateral agreements on land-system change exist but have largely failed to deliver. The Glasgow Declaration to halt deforestation and land degradation by 2030 was signed by 145 countries at the Glasgow climate summit in 2021, but deforestation has increased since then. 

Protecting intact peatlands and rewetting 60% of those already degraded could transform such ecosystems into a net sink, or sponge, of greenhouse gases by the end of the century. Currently, damaged peatlands account for 4% to 5% of global GHG emissions, according to the IUCN.

(*) Please see report for complete references

By the Numbers: Recent research highlights 

• 7 out of 9: Planetary boundaries impacted by land use, underscoring its central role in Earth systems.
• 60%: Remaining global forest cover—well below the safe boundary of 75%.
• 15 million km²: Degraded land area, more than the size of Antarctica, expanding by 1 million km² annually.
• 20%: Earth’s land surface covered by savannas, now under threat from cropland expansion and ill-conceived afforestation.
• 46%: Global land area classified as drylands, home to a third of humanity; 75% of Africa is dryland.
• 90%: Share of recent deforestation directly caused by agriculture—dominated by expanding cropland in Africa/Asia, livestock grazing in South America.
• 80%: Agriculture’s contribution to global deforestation; 70% of freshwater use.
• 23%: Greenhouse gas emissions stemming from agriculture, forestry, and land use.
• 50% vs. 6%: Share of agricultural emissions from deforestation in lower-income vs. higher-income countries.
• 46% / 66%: Fertilizer efficiency for nitrogen and phosphorus; the rest runs off with dire consequences.
• 2,700+: National policies addressing nitrogen pollution while phosphorus is largely overlooked.
• 10%: World’s arable land planted with genetically modified crops by 2018—dominated by soy (78%), cotton (76%), and maize (30%).
• 11,700 years: Length of the Holocene period, during which Earth’s temperature varied within a narrow 0.5°C range—until a 1.3°C rise since the mid-19th century.
• 1/3: Anthropogenic CO2 absorbed by land ecosystems annually.
• 25%: Share of global biodiversity found in soil.
• 20%: Decline in trees’ and soil’s CO2 absorption capacity since 2015 attributed to climate change.
• 3%: Freshwater share of Earth’s water, mostly locked in ice caps and groundwater.
• 50%+: World’s major rivers disrupted by dam construction.
• 47%: Aquifers being depleted faster than they replenish.
• 1 billion: People with insecure land rights, fearing loss of home or land (e.g., 28% in MENA, 26% in sub-Saharan Africa).
• 1 in 5: People worldwide who paid bribes for land services in 2019—rising to 1 in 2 in sub-Saharan Africa.
• $500B+ (2013–2018): Agricultural subsidies across 88 countries, 90% of which fueled inefficient, harmful practices.
• $200B/year: Public and private finance for nature-based solutions, dwarfed by $7 trillion/year financing environmental harm.
• 145: nations that pledged in 2021 to halt deforestation by 2030; forest loss has since continued.

* * * * *

COP 16, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:  2-13 December 2024.  

Theme: “Our Land, Our Future”   www.unccd.int/cop16

The 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 Dec. 2024.

The COP is the main decision-making body of UNCCD’s 197 Parties – 196 countries and the European Union. 

UNCCD is the global voice for land and one of the three major UN treaties known as the Rio Conventions, alongside climate and biodiversity, which recently concluded their COP meetings in Baku, Azerbaijan and Cali, Colombia respectively.

Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of UNCCD, COP 16 will be the largest UN land conference to date, and the first UNCCD COP held in the Middle East and North Africa region, which knows first-hand the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought.

COP 16 marks a renewed global commitment to accelerate investment and action to restore land and boost drought resilience for the benefit of people and planet.

COP 16 early news highlights include the following:

• Special Report on Land: Johan Rockstrom, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) (2 Dec)
• Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership launch (2 Dec)
• International Drought Resilience Observatory launch (2 Dec)
• Global Drought Atlas launch (2 Dec)
• Report launch: Investing in Land’s Future: Assessing Financing Needs for Land Restoration and Drought Resilience (3 Dec)

Ministerial dialogues: 

• Policy instruments for proactive drought management (2 Dec)
• Unlocking public and private finance for land restoration and drought resilience (3 Dec), and  
• Impacts of land degradation and drought on forced migration, security and prosperity (3 Dec)

Full COP 16 overview schedule, negotiation track, and action agenda: unccd.int/media/50289/ope

Consumers face barriers to embracing ethical fashion, psychologist warns

Taylor & Francis Group

Consumers are likely to continue making poor fashion choices unless eco-friendly choices become more accessible, according to a leading psychologist.

Carolyn Mair says brands must do more to promote sustainable clothing by making it more accessible to all, and by doing more to educate the public about mindful consumption.

Meaningful reforms to the current model of fashion production, in which garments are made from raw materials then discarded, have lagged, says Dr Mair who is also a fashion business consultant.

Making sustainable choices

In Dr Mair’s new book The Psychology of Fashion, she says eco-labels on garments are an important influence on shopping psychology but should be clearer to encourage more people to make responsible purchases.

Dr Mair, a cognitive psychologist and former Professor of Psychology for Fashion at the University of the Arts London, adds that an in-depth comprehension of why consumers make certain fashion choices is crucial for real change. She explains that often people say they support sustainability but may not make sustainable fashion choices, for many reasons including cost.

The Psychology of Fashion uses existing data and psychological theories to highlight how the fashion industry influences the environment as well as wellbeing, body image, and society in general.

Dr Mair explains that while there are many psychological drivers behind our motivation to buy fashion on repeat, buyers can be moved to make more sustainable choices through educational advertising campaigns, and improved accessibility and affordability of eco-friendly fashion.

She says: “Psychology in the context of fashion can lead to an ethical and sustainable industry that becomes a force for good for its workforce, consumers and the planet.

“Understanding the psychology of sustainable behaviour in fashion is essential for developing effective strategies to promote and adopt sustainable practices, both at the individual and organisational levels.

“By addressing psychological barriers and fostering a deeper understanding of sustainable fashion principles, stakeholders can work collectively towards a more sustainable and ethical future for the fashion industry.”

Transforming the fashion industry

The fashion industry has a long history of controversy, with more recent debates focusing on its impact on climate change, especially with low-priced imports from China and cotton from India.

The expert also says more countries should bring in laws to ensure the industry adopts sustainability goals and ethical employment standards. This would include regulations requiring companies to disclose how they are reducing emissions.

Data highlighted in the book predicts the fashion industry globally will release 1.5 gigatonnes of CO2 by 2029. Research also estimates that the ethical fashion market will increase to $10bn by 2025 but Dr Mair points out even some of the ethical choices can still damage the environment – vegan fashion contains harmful chemicals and synthetics.

“Fashion choices not only reflect individual identity and body image but also have significant implications for sustainability. The psychological drive towards fast fashion and ever-changing trends often leads to overconsumption and waste, contributing to environmental degradation,” Prof Mair explains.

“By examining the psychology behind these consumption patterns, the book highlights the need for more mindful and sustainable fashion practices.”

Fashion of the future

This second edition of the book has been thoroughly updated with a new exploration of fashion and social media, including a look at platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

A new chapter on the future of fashion also highlights the possibilities presented by virtual and augmented reality.

Items worn in virtual ‘spaces’ such as for online gaming, virtual fashion shows or experiences where consumers virtually wear items before they buy them are among examples given by Dr Mair. The author says this trend could lead to people valuing digital ownership of clothing more than physical ownership.

The personalised nature of augmented reality and digital technology could help raise self-esteem and challenge stereotypical notions of beauty.

Technology could also help foster feelings of ethical empowerment among consumers. Designers and manufacturers are already developing fossil-fuel based textiles which use sustainable materials such as pineapple leather and fabrics made of coffee grounds.

AI could also be a force for good by forecasting future trends more accurately, an advance which Prof Mair says could prevent overproduction. However, the downside of AI is excessive energy consumption and the pressure on consumers to keep up with fashion fads.

ENDS

---

DOI

10.4324/9781032712550 

How my challenge to stop buying new clothes has gone

Sabrina Lee
BBC Wales Weather Presenter
 

BBC
I started the "no new clothes challenge" 11 months ago

Last New Year’s Eve, I set myself the challenge of not buying any brand new clothes for a whole year.

I did this because I was worried about the link between fast fashion and the environment.

Growing popularity of resale sites including Vinted, which reported over 500 million listings on its site, and Depop (more than 34 million listings) have led me to review my shopping habits.

I realised there are enough clothes already in circulation to sustain us for generations.

Ginger Zee, chief meteorologist at ABC News in New York, inspired me to take on the "no new clothes challenge" and has not bought any new clothes since June 2022.



Ms Zee said: "This combination of the social responsibility of thinking about where our clothing comes from, who touches it, how many places it goes before it gets to us, and the marketing of it has changed so rapidly right under our noses.

"I never want to sound like I want fashion to end, because I think it's really important. But the way we're doing it right now globally for the most part is not good."

She added taking "a beat and a pause" to think about consumption and fashion was important.


I met fellow weather presenter Ginger Zee while studying in 2015


To appear on television I supply my own clothes and I choose what to wear, so there has always been a temptation to freshen up my wardrobe and create new looks.

I was all too familiar with fast fashion and would spend hundreds of pounds on clothes each year.

Over the past 11 months, I have only purchased a small number of items from charity shops, second-hand stores or on resale sites – with the exception of shoes and underwear.

I have developed a love for decluttering – I have made it my mission to donate and sell the items in my wardrobe I no longer need to avoid them ending up in landfill.

I have also learnt new skills. My mum has been teaching me how to sew and it means I have given some of my clothes a new lease of life.

Since I have started this challenge, I have borrowed my mum's clothes - like her skirt from the 1980s - and my auntie has passed on dresses that no longer suit her.
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Marketing emails and flash sales made new clothes even more tempting

How cool and accessible is sustainable fashion?

Shein reveals child labour cases at suppliers

'Everyone' has to face fashion's climate impact


Clothes swapping events are becoming more popular, particularly among students and young people.

I went to one in Cardiff organised by youth climate and peace ambassadors, where I donated five items and picked up a jacket and a skirt. They also had a catwalk show, modelling clothes they had made and upcycled.

It was really refreshing to speak to such a motivated group of young women, including Menna and Yolay, who understand the importance of supporting sustainable fashion.

Menna said: "I know I have lots of clothes at home that are amazing quality. They're really nice, but I just don't wear them enough. So we thought if we do a clothes swap. It gives new life to clothing items."

Yolay said: "I think a big thing as well is, you don't see a lot of clothes swaps in Wales and I think we definitely wanted to bring one to Cardiff.

"I just think sustainable clothing is the new way forward. It's financially cheaper and it's also more rewarding to be able to say I found this  piece and it's sustainable."

Jessica Renault
Jessica Renault, owner of Déjà Vu in Cardiff, shares tips when it comes to buying and selling pre-loved clothes

I also visited pre-loved boutiques like Déjà Vu in Cardiff.

Owner Jessica Renault, 27, says she thinks there is still quite a way to go when it comes to people’s attitudes and shopping habits with all fashion, but particularly pre-loved items.

"I think it’s about being more considerate, so actually thinking about what you buy before you buy it and not always buying something because it’s on trend," she said.

The most important tip is to focus on the quality of the fabric above the brand and the label, she said.

"If you’re buying things, then the fabric is important because it means you’re going to get more wear out of it.

"From a selling point of view it’s going to be beneficial because when you go to sell it, it’s going to be in better condition so you’re going to get more money for it."

One of the pre-owned outfits I wore on screen this year - when the weather was a bit warmer!


This year I have transformed my relationship with fashion and really learnt how to embrace circular fashion. I know I will never go back to buying everything brand new.

I know I am not able to make much of a difference alone, but I hope I can inspire others to learn more about sustainable fashion.

I would be lying if I said I have not missed a shopping spree and I cannot deny the pressure I feel from social media to keep up with the rest of the world.

But this year has taught me that trends come back around and if you are creative, you can keep up with all the fashionistas of the world – all while looking after the planet.

Singapore hangs 4th person in three weeks

Agence France-Presse
November 29, 2024 



Singapore hanged a 35-year-old Singaporean-Iranian man for drug trafficking on Friday, its fourth in less than a month, despite appeals from Tehran to "reconsider" his execution.

The United Nations and rights groups say capital punishment has no proven deterrent effect and have called for it to be abolished, but Singaporean officials insist it has helped make the country one of Asia's safest.

Masoud Rahimi Mehrzad, a Singaporean citizen born in the city-state to a Singaporean mother and an Iranian father, was convicted in 2013 for drug trafficking.

Appeals against his conviction and sentence, as well as petitions for clemency from the president, had been dismissed. After he was informed of his impending hanging, Masoud filed an 11th-hour appeal to stay his execution, which was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on Thursday.

Calling him "an Iranian citizen", Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also appealed to his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan on Thursday to halt the execution.

"Araghchi expressed Iran's respect for Singapore's legal framework but appealed to Singaporean authorities to reconsider the execution of Masoud Rahimi, emphasizing humanitarian considerations," Iran's foreign ministry said on X.

However, Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) announced "the capital sentence of death imposed on Masoud Rahimi bin Mehrzad... was carried out on 29 November 2024".

"Masoud... was convicted of having in his possession for the purpose of trafficking, not less than 31.14 grams (1.1 ounces) of diamorphine, or pure heroin," CNB said.

Under the country's tough drug laws, the death penalty applies for any amount above a 15-gram threshold for heroin.


It added that "capital punishment is imposed only for the most serious crimes, such as the trafficking of significant quantities of drugs which cause very serious harm".

His execution was the fourth in three weeks in Singapore.

Rosman Abdullah, 55, was hanged on November 22 and two men -- a 39-year-old Malaysian and a 53-year-old Singaporean -- were hanged on November 15 all for drug offenses.

So far this year, there have been nine executions by the Singaporean government -- eight for drug trafficking and one for murder.

According to an AFP tally, Singapore has hanged 25 people since it resumed carrying out the death penalty in March 2022 after a two-year halt during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The UN this month reiterated its call on Singapore to review its position on capital punishment.

'National laughingstock': Trump’s win hasn't dented election denialism

Matt Vasilogambros,

 Stateline
December 1, 2024 

Election deniers at a "Stop the Steal" rally. (Shutterstock.)

President-elect Donald Trump may have quieted his lies about widespread voter fraud after his win earlier this month, but the impact of his effort to cast doubt on the integrity of American elections lingers on.

Although this post-election period has been markedly calmer than the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, there were isolated flare-ups of Republican candidates borrowing a page from Trump’s playbook to claim that unsatisfactory election results were illegitimate.

In Wisconsin, Republican U.S. Senate challenger Eric Hovde spread unsubstantiated rumors about “last-minute” absentee ballots in Milwaukee that he said flipped the outcome of the race. Though he conceded to incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin nearly two weeks after the election, his rhetoric helped stoke a spike in online conspiracy theories. The Milwaukee Election Commission disputed his claims, saying they “lack any merit.”

In North Carolina, Republican state Senate leader Phil Berger told reporters last week he feared that the vote-counting process for a state Supreme Court seat was rigged for Democrats. Karen Brinson Bell, the head of the State Board of Elections, skewered Berger for his comments, saying they could inspire violence.

And in Arizona, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake, who has spent two years disputing her defeat in the 2022 governor’s race, hasn’t acknowledged her Senate loss. While she thanked her supporters in a video posted to X, the platform formerly called Twitter, she stopped short of conceding to Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego.

Republicans’ disinformation campaigns have caused Americans’ confidence in elections to plummet and exposed local election officials to threats and harassment, and some observers worry about a return of the GOP’s destructive rhetoric the next time they lose.

“We have to turn this rhetoric down,” said Jay Young, senior director of voting and democracy for Common Cause, a voting rights group. “There cannot be this continued attack on this institution.”

Still, many politicians who either denied the 2020 election results or criticized their local voting processes won election. In Arizona, for example, voters chose state Rep. Justin Heap, a Republican, to lead the election office in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix and the largest jurisdiction in the critical swing state. Heap ran on a “voter confidence” platform and suggested at a Trump rally that Maricopa’s election office is a “national laughingstock.”


Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to oversee the U.S. Department of Justice. Bondi, a Republican, served as an attorney for Trump while he disputed the results in 2020. She could use her position as U.S. attorney general to prosecute election officials involved in that election, as Trump promised in an X post in September.

While the rhetoric around stolen elections has been somewhat muted among the GOP ranks since Trump’s victory, conservatives attempted to flip the “election denial” script on Democrats in at least one race.

We have to turn this rhetoric down.
– Jay Young, Common Cause’s senior director of voting and democracy

In Pennsylvania, Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey refused to concede defeat until last Thursday, two weeks after The Associated Press called the race for Republican challenger David McCormick. Casey lost by fewer than 16,000 votes, less than half a percentage point.

Casey said he wanted to see the results of an automatic recount and various court cases filed on his behalf, but Republicans jumped on his refusal to bow out quickly.

Last week, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican who resisted pressure from Trump in 2020 to “find” votes after he lost the state, lambasted Casey for not conceding the Senate race.

But Kathy Boockvar, president of Athena Strategies and former Pennsylvania secretary of the commonwealth told the Capital-Star that comparisons between what the Casey campaign was doing and Republicans’ efforts to overturn results in the 2020 election were not valid; under Pennsylvania law, a recount is automatically triggered when the margin of votes is under 0.5%, as it was in the Casey-McCormick race.

She added that the practice of “calling” elections has “done more damage to perceptions of elections than a lot of other things, because people think that when the Associated Press calls an election or Decision Desk calls an election, that that has any official relevance, and it has none,” she said. “The Associated Press and others ‘calling’ of elections exist solely for the purpose of feeding people’s need for quick answers to a process that is not designed to be quick for good reasons.”

Even as Republicans mostly toned down their rhetoric this year, some left-wing social media accounts repeated a debunked conspiracy theory that Starlink, the internet provider owned by billionaire and Trump supporter Elon Musk, changed vote counts.

Those posts, however, aren’t comparable to GOP election denialism, according to the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public, which fights strategic misinformation.

“While the claims are similar, the rumoring dynamics on the left are markedly different due to the lack of endorsement or amplification by left-leaning influencers, candidates, or party elites,” the center posted last week.


Young, of Common Cause, said it’s clear that election disinformation of any kind has a devastating impact on the local officials tasked with administering the vote.

Threats to election workers continued even after Election Day. Bomb threats were called into election offices in California, Minnesota, Oregon and other states, forcing evacuations as workers were tallying ballots.

But this was just a slice of the onslaught many officials faced over the past four years. Local election officials need the resources to beef up the way they fight disinformation and physical attacks, Young said.

“We should be doing better by them,” he said.

'The first oligarch': Russian dissident warns of 'extremely dangerous' development in U.S.

 

The concept of “conflicts of interest” doesn’t exist under oligarchy,”

Adam Nichols
December 1, 2024 
RAW STORY


America is close to having its first real oligarch, a Russian dissident — and former world chess champion — warned in an interview Sunday

Garry Kasparov, who now chairs the Renew Democracy Initiative, claimed to the Huffington Post that Elon Musk’s emergence at Trump’s side mixes business and politics in the same way as was seen in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union.

“There are certain lessons that I think we can learn from Russia in the ’90s,” he said.

“The blurring of the lines between business and politics, which is called oligarchy by classical political philosophy ― it’s extremely dangerous.”

Russian oligarchs – defined as very rich business leaders with a massive amount of political influence — are extremely powerful, effectively controlling the law to reward supporters and crush their opponents, he said.

“Musk could be the first oligarch,” he said. “Having the largest private contractor of the U.S. government potentially being in the position of supervising the entire U.S. budget? I mean, just think about it. If this is not classical oligarchy, what is it?”

“Oligarchy is not about the amount of money. Oligarchy is about blurring the line, erasing the line, between business and government.”

Musk was put in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency, an as yet unofficial arm of the Trump administration tasked with finding massive cuts in federal spending.


Kasparov said he’s waiting to see if Musk will act outside of ethics rules which would require him to step down as CEO of his companies to operate DOGE.

“That’s because the concept of “conflicts of interest” doesn’t exist under oligarchy,” Huffington Post paraphrased.

'Really bad': Newsmax panel attacks 'aggressive' women for protesting healthcare threat

David Edwards
December 1, 2024 
RAW STORY

FILE PHOTO: Anti-abortion and abortion rights protestors demonstrate on the anniversary of the decision by the United States Supreme to overturn Roe v. Wade, outside the U.S. Supreme Court, in Washington, U.S., June 24, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

A Newsmax panel criticized women who reacted to President-elect Donald Trump's victory by declining to have sex, shaving their heads, or being sterilized.

During a Sunday morning discussion on the conservative news network, host Sarah Williamson said women were making the "crazy" decision to be sterilized because they feared that anti-abortion laws could put their lives at risk.

"I think they have deeper issues than Trump being president," Newsmax contributor Deneen Borelli argued. "And there's a lot of other things going on. Women restraining sex from their husbands and women shaving their heads."

"That's really bad news," Newsmax host John Burnett remarked.

"This is crazy off the charts," Doreen Borelli said.

Burnett called the women "aggressive."

"Look, I'm all for this," Newsmax contributor Tom Borelli explained. "Remove the stupid gene from the gene pool. Speaking as a biochemist, if you're going to be that stupid, we don't want your genes in our system. So, I view this as a positive."

Williamson wondered why women were "so concerned" about abortion rights when they could get reproductive care in other places if it were not offered in their state.

"But if they wanted to so badly, if you're in Texas, just, you can go," she said. "Like, it's not the end of the world."

"Well, I just think it's — there's mental stuff going on here," Doreen Borelli posited.

Watch the video below from Newsmax.

 

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares resigns as auto giant suffers slump in sales

Stellantis Chief Executive Carlos Tavares resigned abruptly on Sunday, two months after a profit warning at the maker of Jeep, Fiat and Peugeot cars that has lost around 40% of its value this year.

Issued on: 01/12/2024 
By: NEWS WIRES

Carlos Tavares poses at a Peugeot factory in Sochaux, eastern France, on October 3, 2024. © Frederick Florin, AFP file photo

Stellantis chief executive Carlos Tavares on Sunday resigned "with immediate effect", the auto giant announced, signalling differences over how to confront the group's profit slump.

The Italian-US-French company, whose brands include Fiat, Peugeot-Citroen, Opel, Maserati, Chrysler, Ram and Jeep, said in a statement that the board had accepted the resignation of the 66-year-old Portuguese executive.

"In recent weeks different views have emerged which have resulted in the board and the CEO coming to today's decision," independent director Henri de Castries said in the statement, without giving details.

The group said in September that it had started looking for a successor for Tavares, who had been due to stand down when his current five-year contract ends in early 2026.

"The process to appoint the new permanent chief executive officer is well under way, managed by a special committee of the board, and will be concluded within the first half of 2025," said the statement.

It added that an "interim executive committee" led by chairman John Elkann will run the firm until then.

Stellantis has reported growing difficulties in recent months that Tavares had acknowledged as stormy.

A Stellantis earnings report in July said sales in North America, the main profit source, were down 18 percent in the first six months.

In September it cut its profit forecast and later said third-quarter sales in North America were down 20 percent on the 2023 figure.

Like other auto groups, Stellantis has blamed competition from China and the difficult transition to electric cars for much of its troubles.

Tavares started his career in the car industry with Renault before becoming chief executive of the old Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) group in 2014. He was made chief executive of Stellantis when PSA and Fiat-Chrysler merged in 2021 to form the new group.

(AFP)

Hopes of global plastic pollution treaty fade as negotiators call for more time

Efforts to seal a global treaty to curb plastic pollution faltered on the last day of scheduled talks in South Korea's Busan on Sunday as over 100 countries pushed to cap production while a handful of oil-producing countries sought to focus only on plastic waste.

Issued on: 01/12/2024

By: NEWS WIRES

Plastic production is on track to triple by 2060, and more than 90 percent of plastic is not recycled. © Sonny Tumbelaka, AFP file photo


Negotiators have failed to reach agreement on a landmark treaty to curb plastic pollution and need more time to continue discussions, the diplomat chairing the talks said Sunday.

Nearly 200 nations are in South Korea's Busan for negotiations that are supposed to result in the world's first accord on the issue after two years of discussions.

But a week of talks has failed to resolve deep divisions between "high-ambition" countries seeking a globally binding agreement to limit production and phase out harmful chemicals, and "like-minded", mostly oil-producing nations who want to focus on waste.

Plastic production is on track to triple by 2060, and more than 90 percent of plastic is not recycled.


A draft text released Sunday afternoon after multiple delays included a wide range of options, making clear the ongoing level of disagreement.

When an open plenary session finally convened late Sunday night, chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso said progress had been made.

INC-5 Chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso says negotiators have failed to reach agreement on a landmark treaty to curb plastic pollution and need more time. © Anthony Wallace, AFP

But he said "we must also recognise that a few critical issues still prevent us from reaching a comprehensive agreement."

"These unresolved issues remain challenging and additional time will be needed to address them effectively," he said.

"There is a general agreement to resume the current session at a later date to conclude our negotiations."

Several nations took to the floor to support the call for more time – but their agreement ended there.

Rwandan delegate Juliet Kabera spoke of "strong concerns about ongoing calls by a small group of countries to remove binding provisions from the text that are indispensable for the treaty to be effective."

01:48China plastic © france 24

She delivered a statement on behalf of dozens of countries, demanding a treaty that would require targets to reduce production and phase out chemicals of concern.

"A treaty that lacks these elements and only relies on voluntary measures would not be acceptable," she said, inviting supporting delegations to stand up to extensive applause from the plenary room.
'Huge gap'

Iran however warned it remained unhappy with proposals on those issues and others, warning of the "huge gap" between parties.

"We need to be assured that when (we) come together again, we will be allowed to add, introduce our own new languages, and to put into brackets any part or paragraph," its delegate said.

That raised the prospect that any new talks could follow the pattern seen in Busan, where repeated attempts by the chair to synthesise and streamline text encountered resistance.

Earlier, delegations seeking an ambitious treaty warned that a handful of countries were steadfastly blocking progress.

A French minister accused the like-minded group of "continuing obstruction," while Fiji's Sivendra Michael called out a "very minority group" for "blocking the process."

While countries have declined to directly name those preventing a deal, public statements and submissions have shown Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia have sought to block production cuts and other ambitious goals.

None of the delegations have responded to repeated AFP requests for comment.

Nearly 200 nations gathered in South Korea's Busan for negotiations that were supposed to result in the world's first accord on the issue after two years of discussions. © Anthony Wallace, AFP

Portuguese delegate Maria Joao Teixeira said earlier Sunday that another round of talks might be the best option for a meaningful deal.

"We are really trying to not have a weak treaty," she told AFP.

But environmental groups had pushed ambitious countries to call a vote if progress stalls, and said another round of negotiations was unnecessary.

"We know what we need to do to end plastic pollution... simply adding more meetings is not the solution," said Eirik Lindebjerg, global plastics policy lead at WWF.

While dozens of countries support production limits and phasing out some chemicals and unnecessary plastic products, left unclear is the position of the world's top two plastics producers, China and the United States.

Both were notably absent from the stage at a Sunday press conference by countries urging a strong treaty and were not on the list of countries supporting Rwanda's statement.

(AFP)

Nations warn of deadlock at landmark plastic pollution talks


ByAFP
November 30, 2024

Nearly 200 countries are in South Korea's Busan for negotiations on a deal to curb plastic pollution - Copyright AFP Roland de Courson
Sara Hussein and Katie Forster

Diplomats warned Saturday that a majority of countries could walk away from talks on the world’s first plastic pollution agreement if a handful of delegations continue resisting calls to compromise.

Nearly 200 countries are in South Korea’s Busan for negotiations on a deal to curb plastic pollution.

But efforts to reach the landmark agreement are locked over several key sticking points, particularly reducing production and phasing out chemicals believed or known to harm human health.

Over 100 countries back those measures, and insist a treaty without them will fail to solve the pollution crisis.

But around a dozen nations — mostly producers of plastic precursors derived from fossil fuels — are strongly opposed.

plastick

Long one of the top sources of ocean plastic, the Philippines is hoping new legislation requiring big companies to pay for waste solutions will help clean up its act – Copyright AFP/File Jam Sta Rosa

As a result, just a day before talks are supposed to end, the draft text remains full of opposing views and contradictory language.

And frustration is growing.

“The overwhelming majority of delegates here demand an ambitious treaty,” said Panama’s delegation head Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez.

“If the reduction of production is not there, there is no treaty.”

“We cannot let a few loud voices derail the process,” he added.

– ‘Ready to walk away’ –

A diplomat from the High Ambition Coalition, which groups dozens of countries seeking a strong deal, echoed that sentiment.

“We are a large group uniting around key effective elements, and getting ready to walk away,” he told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door deliberations.

Plastic production has doubled in 20 years – Copyright POOL/AFP JUNG YEON-JE

He warned that “some countries” were actively considering calling a vote, which would circumvent the UN’s traditional approach of agreement by consensus and could “raise a lot of eyebrows.”

It was a possibility being increasingly discussed as a “last resort,” said the Democratic Republic of Congo’s J.M. Bope Bope Lapwong.

“I think that if we can’t reach an agreement, we’ll be obliged to go to a vote. We cannot come all this way, all these kilometres, to fail,” he told AFP.

“True, it’s not the usual way at UN meetings, and we will do it to our shame — because when you negotiate, you don’t expect to win it all.”

More than 90 percent of plastic is not recycled, while plastic production is expected to triple by 2060.


The impact of plastic pollution in lakes is less well researched than in the oceans – Copyright AFP Asif HASSAN

Environmental groups have pushed ambitious countries to move to a vote if progress stalls, arguing that countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia have not offered any compromises during talks.

Neither delegation responded to repeated requests by AFP for comment.

“A handful of governments… are looking backwards and refusing to take the steps necessary for us all to advance,” said Greenpeace’s Graham Forbes.

“I think we are at a very risky moment right now of being sold out, and that would be an absolute catastrophe.”

But observers warned that calling a vote would be a risky strategy that could alienate even some countries in favour of a strong treaty.

Another option would be for the diplomat chairing the talks to simply gavel through an agreement over the objections of a handful of holdouts, they said.

But that too holds risks, potentially embittering the remaining diplomatic process and jeopardising adoption of a treaty down the road.

“We don’t want to move outside the framework of the United Nations,” said an official from the French environment ministry.

“We hope we will find agreement between now and tomorrow and that’s the option that we’re focused on,” he added.

“A lot can happen in 24 hours.”

Greenpeace activists board tanker in plastic protest


By AFP
November 30, 2024

Attempts to reach an agreement in Busan on curbing plastic pollution have stalled over several key sticking points - Copyright AFP MANAN VATSYAYANA

Greenpeace activists boarded a tanker off South Korea on Saturday in an action intended to draw attention to calls for a treaty to curb plastic pollution, the environmental group said.

Nearly 200 countries are in Busan to negotiate the deal, but there is little sign of agreement with just a day left before talks are due to end.

Greenpeace said the tanker Buena Alba, anchored off the Hanwha TotalEnergies complex, was scheduled to pick up propylene, which is used to manufacture plastic.

“The activists boarded the vessel peacefully and met no reaction from the vessel crew,” said Greenpeace spokeswoman Angelica Pago.

“We painted ‘PLASTIC KILLS’ on the side of the vessel and the climbers successfully set up a camp,” she told AFP.

“They intend to stay in order to continue putting pressure on the negotiators to resist fossil fuel and petrochemical industry interference in the talks and to deliver a treaty that firmly cuts plastic production.”

A spokesman for South Korea’s coast guard told AFP police had been “deployed on the ship, and we are making warning announcements to facilitate a safe disembarkation”.

He said a “thorough investigation” would be carried out to determine if there were any “illegal elements” to the protest.

Attempts to reach an agreement on curbing plastic pollution have stalled over several key sticking points, including whether to cut new plastic production.

Dozens of countries, backed by environmental groups, insist a treaty without production cuts will fail to solve the problem, but a group of largely oil-producing states is fiercely opposed.

“The brave activists that boarded that vessel today show the courage and should inspire governments here to hold the line and do what everyone knows is obvious,” Greenpeace delegation head Graham Forbes told reporters in Busan.

The negotiations have reached a “pivotal moment”, he said, but “a handful of governments… are looking backwards and refusing to take the steps necessary for us all to advance”.

“I think we are at a very risky moment right now of being sold out, and that would be an absolute catastrophe,” Forbes said.

Nations warn of ‘obstruction’ at plastic talks


By AFP
November 30, 2024

A handful of mostly oil-producing states are holding firm over key sticking points on a treaty aimed at reducing plastic pollution - Copyright AFP ANTHONY WALLACE

Sara Hussein and Katie Forster

Dozens of countries warned Sunday that a handful of nations were obstructing efforts in South Korea to reach an ambitious landmark global treaty to curb plastic pollution.

With hours to go until negotiations are scheduled to end, a group of mostly oil-producing “like-minded countries” have reportedly refused to compromise on key sticking points.

Those include setting targets for reducing plastic production and phasing out chemicals known or believed to be harmful to human health.

“We also are worried by the continuing obstruction by the so-called like-minded countries,” Olga Givernet, France’s minister delegate for energy, told reporters.

“Finding an agreement for us on (an) ambitious treaty that reduces plastic pollution remains an absolute priority for France,” Givernet said.

“We are planning on pushing it, pushing it again.”

Plastic production is on track to triple by 2060, and over 90 percent of plastic is not recycled.

But while everyone negotiating in Busan agrees on the problem, they disagree on the solution.

Countries including Saudi Arabia and Russia insist the deal should focus only on waste, and reject calls for binding global measures.

They have made their position clear in documents submitted in negotiations and during public plenary sessions, though neither delegation responded to repeated AFP requests for comment.

“It is disappointing to see that a small number of members remain unsupportive of the measures necessary to drive real change,” said Rwanda’s Juliet Kabera.

“We still have a few hours left in these negotiations, there is time to find common ground, but Rwanda cannot accept a toothless treaty,” she warned.



– ‘We have hope’ –



Fiji’s Sivendra Michael also called out a “very minority group” for “blocking the process.”

The latest draft text for the treaty contains a range of options, reflecting the ongoing divisions. Delivery of a new version has been repeatedly delayed.

Time is running out for the talks. The venue where negotiations are being held has only been rented until mid-morning Monday, sources told AFP.

Environmental groups have pushed ambitious countries to move to a vote if progress stalls.

But observers caution that would be a risky strategy that could alienate even some countries in favour of a strong treaty.

Another option would be for the diplomat chairing the talks to simply gavel through an agreement over the objections of a handful of holdouts, they said.

That too holds risks, potentially embittering the remaining diplomatic process and jeopardising adoption of a treaty down the road.

Mexico’s head of delegation Camila Zepeda said she did not favour calling a vote.

“We have hope in consensus. The multilateral process is slow, but there is a possibility of having critical mass to move forward,” she told AFP.

“I believe that what is most important is to show this critical mass, and showing this critical mass helps us so that the more contentious issues can be unblocked.”

Over 100 countries now support setting a target for production cuts, and dozens also back phasing out some chemicals and unnecessary plastic products.

But representatives of China and the United States, the world’s two top plastics producers, were absent from the stage at a press conference urging ambition.

“They are still considering and we are hopeful that there will be some interest on their part,” said Mexico’s Zepeda.

“This coalition of the willing is an open invitation. And so it’s not like it’s them against us.”

Panama’s Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez meanwhile told colleagues that “history will not forgive us” for leaving Busan without an ambitious treaty.

“This is the time to step up or get out.”

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.


Civil society groups hold a press conference outside the negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty in Busan, South Korea on November 29, 2024.
(Photo: Greenpeace)

Olivia Rosane
Nov 29, 2024
COMMON DREAMS

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."