pile of garbage

Global treaty to curb plastic pollution faces final negotiations

Delegates from more than 170 nations are meeting in South Korea to negotiate a treaty to reduce plastic pollution, but debates over production caps and enforcement could derail the effort.

Douglas Main reports for The New Lede.


In short:

  • A United Nations-led meeting in Busan aims to finalize a treaty addressing the plastic pollution crisis, which could nearly triple by 2060 without intervention.
  • The U.S. supports voluntary measures but resists binding caps on plastic production, despite the EPA highlighting severe health risks linked to plastic exposure.
  • Some nations, including oil-heavy producers, oppose strict limits, while scientists and advocates call for reductions in production and hazardous chemicals in plastics.

Key quote:

“ ... the challenge with plastic isn’t that we don’t know how to live without it — for most uses, we do, or we used to — it’s that the oil, gas, and petrochemical industry has become so powerful that it won’t let us implement the necessary change.”

— Neil Tangri, a researcher with the University of California, Berkeley

Why this matters:

Plastic pollution threatens ecosystems and human health worldwide, with microplastics found in food, water, and even human organs. Without urgent action to limit production, the crisis will exacerbate environmental damage and climate change.

Related coverage: Nations push for global treaty to limit plastic pollution

The White House in Washington DC

Nonprofits still blocked from $20 billion in climate funds amid investigations

Nonprofits expecting $20 billion in federal climate funding remain unable to access their accounts after the Trump administration launched investigations, despite a prosecutor’s determination that there was no evidence of wrongdoing.

Lisa Friedman, Claire Brown, and Charlie Savage report for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
Offshore drilling platform with distant mountains in the background.

Republicans debate offshore drilling as some resist expansion

Even as Republican lawmakers push to reverse Biden-era offshore drilling restrictions, some oppose new development off their states’ coasts, complicating efforts to expand oil and gas production.

Garrett Downs reports for E&E News.

Keep reading...Show less
Four nuclear energy towers with a barren field in foreground and dark storm clouds in background.

Supreme Court reviews Texas nuclear waste site dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether Texas can block a federal license for a temporary nuclear waste storage site, a case that could shape the future of spent fuel disposal in the U.S.

Dylan Baddour reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
USDA sign on a green wall.

Lawsuit claims USDA climate data purge leaves farmers without vital resources

A lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture alleges that the Trump administration's removal of thousands of climate-related web pages has illegally stripped farmers of critical tools needed to navigate worsening droughts, floods, and shifting growing conditions.

Miranda Lipton reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
A yellow and black sign saying Break Free from Fossil Fuels

Major fossil fuel companies linked to half of global carbon emissions

Just 36 fossil fuel companies accounted for half of the world’s carbon emissions in 2023, with emissions continuing to rise despite global climate commitments.

Damian Carrington reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
Street signs with the words Wall St on them and tall buildings in background.
Credit: Lo Lo/Unsplash

Wall Street investors profit from lawsuits against green policies

Financial speculators are pouring money into lawsuits against governments over environmental regulations, with fossil fuel and mining firms securing billions in public funds through international arbitration.

Patrick Greenfield and Phoebe Weston report for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
Man in green shirt and blue jeans watering green plants in a greenhouse.

Federal funding freeze leaves U.S. farmers in financial limbo

A freeze on federal funding has left farmers across the U.S. struggling to cover essential costs, delaying conservation efforts and threatening the future of small and mid-sized farms.

Ayurella Horn-Muller & Naveena Sadasivam report for Grist.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

Agents of Change in Environmental Justice logo

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.