Business Coalition: Open Letter Ahead of INC 5

Global CEOs call on governments to agree on an ambitious and actionable treaty to end plastic pollution.

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Dear Heads of State,

INC-5 in November represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address plastic pollution at a global level. As business leaders, we’re calling on governments to unite and deliver a treaty that is fit for purpose.

As members of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, a group of 250+ global businesses, financial institutions and NGOs, we see an ambitious treaty with binding global rules as a chance to harmonise the policy landscape, strengthen national legislation, and help businesses scale proven solutions for priority sectors such as packaging.

Global rules are also good for governments, reducing long-term public spending on waste management and mobilising investment to create jobs across the value chain.

A treaty based on voluntary measures alone risks delaying action by decades. This would create further fragmentation in the regulatory landscape for business, leading to increased cost and complexity.

For business to implement an effective treaty, we need agreement at INC-5 on:

Global criteria and lists that enable the restriction and phase out of chemicals of concern as well as problematic and avoidable plastic products.
Sector-specific approaches and global criteria for circular product design of plastic products, such as packaging.
Common definitions and key principles for the effective implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes.
A strong mandate for the governing body to strengthen the agreement over time.

As business leaders, we are working to transform our business models to catalyse a circular economy in which plastic never becomes waste or pollution, and the value of products and materials is retained in the economy. There is already significant alignment on these topics through voluntary industry initiatives, and we remain committed to efforts to advance a circular economy for plastics . However, it is clear that voluntary efforts alone are not enough to address plastic pollution at scale.

We stand ready to work together with policymakers across the world on this critical task. There is no time to waste, INC-5 presents a critical opportunity that we cannot afford to miss.

Global CEOs call on governments to agree on an ambitious and actionable treaty to end plastic pollution.

‍

Dear Heads of State,

INC-5 in November represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address plastic pollution at a global level. As business leaders, we’re calling on governments to unite and deliver a treaty that is fit for purpose.

As members of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, a group of 250+ global businesses, financial institutions and NGOs, we see an ambitious treaty with binding global rules as a chance to harmonise the policy landscape, strengthen national legislation, and help businesses scale proven solutions for priority sectors such as packaging.

Global rules are also good for governments, reducing long-term public spending on waste management and mobilising investment to create jobs across the value chain.

A treaty based on voluntary measures alone risks delaying action by decades. This would create further fragmentation in the regulatory landscape for business, leading to increased cost and complexity.

For business to implement an effective treaty, we need agreement at INC-5 on:

Global criteria and lists that enable the restriction and phase out of chemicals of concern as well as problematic and avoidable plastic products.
Sector-specific approaches and global criteria for circular product design of plastic products, such as packaging.
Common definitions and key principles for the effective implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes.
A strong mandate for the governing body to strengthen the agreement over time.

As business leaders, we are working to transform our business models to catalyse a circular economy in which plastic never becomes waste or pollution, and the value of products and materials is retained in the economy. There is already significant alignment on these topics through voluntary industry initiatives, and we remain committed to efforts to advance a circular economy for plastics . However, it is clear that voluntary efforts alone are not enough to address plastic pollution at scale.

We stand ready to work together with policymakers across the world on this critical task. There is no time to waste, INC-5 presents a critical opportunity that we cannot afford to miss.

‍Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO, Danone

Augusto Bauer, CEO, AJE

Barbara Martin Coppola, CEO, DECATHLON

Carsten Knobel, CEO, Henkel

Christian Klein, CEO, SAP

Fisk Johnson, CEO, SC Johnson

Hein Schumacher, CEO, Unilever

Jon Abrahamsson Ring, CEO, Inter IKEA Group

Kevin Kwilinski, CEO, Berry Global

Laurent Freixe, CEO, Nestlé

Magnus Groth, CEO, Essity

Peter Konieczny, CEO, Amcor

Philipp Lehner, CEO, ALPLA

Poul Weihrauch, CEO, Mars Inc

Ramon Laguarta, CEO, PepsiCo

Rodrigo Tona, CEO, Ternova

Samuel Sigrist, CEO, SIG

Stefan Doboczky, CEO Borealis

Surendra Patawari, Chairman, Gemini Corporation

Tom Daunt, Member of Executive Board, ALDI SOUTH Group

Tom Szaky, CEO, Terracycle

Tove Andersen, CEO, Tomra