Lobbyists slated over plastic talks

Busan - Environmental groups yesterday slammed the presence of dozens of petrochemical and fossil fuel industry lobbyists at UN talks on a plastic pollution treaty, accusing them of "obstruction" and "misinformation".

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"It's a direct conflict of interest," said Delphine Levi Alvares, global petrochemical campaign coordinator at the Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL).

"Their interests conflict with the objective of the mandate [of the talks] and their presence here challenges independent science."

Nearly 200 countries are in South Korea to agree on a treaty to end plastic pollution, capping two years of talks.

The resolution setting up the talks calls for a treaty addressing the full "lifecycle" of plastics, as well as the need for sustainable production and consumption.