VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Plastics: Treaties

Asked by Graham LeadbitterScottish National PartyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 24 July 2025UIN 68935

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of fossil fuel lobbying groups on the effectiveness of the Global Plastics Treaty.

Answered by Emma Hardy

The Government is committed to reaching agreement on an ambitious and effective treaty to end plastic pollution when negotiations resume in August 2025 and will be working closely with a range of countries both within the High Ambition Coalition and outside it to achieve this.

The UK is committed to an open, transparent and inclusive approach to negotiations to ensure that all have equal opportunity for their views to be heard.

The UK Government, at all stages of the INC process, has made it a priority to engage with a broad range of stakeholders. We partnered with the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network to run the UK Treaty Dialogues ahead of each round of negotiations. These brought together stakeholders from across the plastics value chain, including trade associations representing fossil fuel and petrochemical industries, but also academia, eNGOs and other civil society organisations.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim