WASHINGTON (August 14, 2024) — Reporting today indicates the United States has shifted its position on the UN Plastics Agreement currently being negotiated. The following may be attributed to Chris Jahn, president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council (ACC):

“With today’s shift in position to support plastic production caps and regulate chemicals via the UN Plastics Agreement, the White House has signaled it is willing to betray U.S. manufacturing and the hundreds of thousands of jobs it supports.

“This is a lose-lose situation. American jobs will be at risk of being outsourced. The cost of goods is likely to rise globally, impacting those least able to afford it. And the U.S. negotiators’ influence at the next round of negotiations will be significantly diminished since other countries know such drastic positions are unlikely to secure the 67 votes needed in the Senate to join the agreement.

As the White House caves to the wishes of extreme NGO groups, it does a disservice towards our mutual ambition for a cleaner, lower carbon future where used plastic doesn’t become pollution in the first place. If the Biden-Harris Administration wants to meet its sustainable development and climate change goals, the world will need to rely on plastic more, not less. Plastics enable solar and wind energy, are critical to modern healthcare, deliver clean drinking water, reduce home, building and transportation energy needs, and help prevent food wastage.

“ACC still believes in the need for a strong global agreement to address plastic pollution. We can create a future where we retain the massive societal benefits plastics provide while also preventing used plastics from becoming pollution. Unfortunately, this change in position by the White House will hinder both objectives.”