The fifth and final round of the United Nation’s global plastics treaty negotiations kicks off this week in the Republic of Korea. More than 4,000 representatives from around the world are gathering together at INC-5 to work towards a legally binding agreement to tackle the urgent environmental and health impacts of the plastic pollution crisis.
As the last round of talks unfolded in Ottawa earlier this year, the community of Aamjiwnaang First Nation was forced to declare a State of Emergency. Dangerous levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical used in the production of plastic, caused community members to fall ill and sent some to hospital.
Dangerously high air pollution levels are not an isolated event in Aamjiwnaang; it is a reality their community has lived with every day for decades. Their community is located near Sarnia, Ontario. The large concentration of petrochemical and industrial facilities around the community has earned the area its grim nickname, Chemical Valley.
Representatives from Aamjiwnaang were at the treaty negotiations in Ottawa and delivered a powerful message, alongside fellow frontline Indigenous leaders: Indigenous Peoples need to be included as equal partners at the table, and in all efforts to tackle the plastics pollution crisis. Aamjiwnaang will be with Ecojustice at INC-5, united with frontline communities, Indigenous Peoples, waste pickers, and other environmental justice groups to push for an ambitious treaty that tackles the full lifecycle of plastic.
Aamjiwnaang delivers a powerful message of environmental justice
A commanding moment that punctuated the negotiation talks in Ottawa was when Janelle Nahmabin, the newly Elected Chief of Aamjiwnaang First Nation, delivered a powerful speech on the plenary floor. She spoke about urgent impacts of pollution from plastic production in her community, calling on Canada and governments around the world to chart a new path forward. Dozens of Indigenous leaders and other allies stood in solidarity as she spoke.
Following the declaration of a State of Emergency during INC-4, the INEOS facility that leaked the benzene closed due to “maintenance.” On the heels of massive mobilization from Aamjiwnaang’s leadership at INC-4 and a campaign to amplify their voices, Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks suspended INEOS Styrolution’s environmental compliance approval (ECA) on May 1 after the company failed to reduce benzene emissions.[1]
The attention from INC-4 further catalyzed Ontario’s Environment Ministry to issue an order setting out several conditions for INEOS Styrolution to resume operations and the federal government issuing an interim order under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Just last month, INEOS announced the facility would close for good.
While this outcome was an important win for the community, more urgent, systemic action is needed to ensure long-term protection from benzene and other harmful pollutants from plastic production. Aamjiwnaang is leading the way at home and abroad. In the words of Lynn Rosales, Environment Coordinator with Aamjiwnaang, “World leaders need to recognize that moving into the future with collective thought, action, and intention is crucial for all future generations of the world.”
Message delivered at treaty talks: It’s time for Indigenous Peoples to have a seat at the table
As we head into INC-5, Aamjiwnaang is looking to continue with the momentum built at the last round of talks. INC-4 kicked off with a rally on Parliament Hill where frontline communities, Indigenous Peoples, waste pickers, and environmental justice groups were united in their call for an ambitious global treaty that tackles the full lifecycle of plastic. The crowd then marched a short distance to the Shaw Centre, where the treaty negotiations were being held.[2]
Despite not having a seat at the negotiation table, Aamjiwnaang Council members, alongside other frontline Indigenous leaders, sent a strong message to the Canadian government, the United Nations, and delegates both inside and outside the halls of the global plastics treaty talks. Their message was clear: As Sovereign Rights holders and communities on the frontlines of the plastics pollution crisis, Indigenous Peoples must be included as equal partners in shaping the global plastics treaty.[3]
Human rights must be centered and embedded into every part of the treaty in order to meaningfully add ress health and environmental injustices at all stages of the plastics production cycle.
Plastic pollution disproportionately impacts Indigenous communities
On Wednesday, April 24, Elected Councillors Janelle Nahmabin and CJ Smith-White from Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Suzanne Smoke with the Society of Native Nations, and Tori Cress from Keepers of the Water spoke at a press conference hosted by Ecojustice inside the INC-4 negotiation space. The speakers delivered powerful remarks highlighting the disproportionate impacts of plastics pollution on frontline Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. You can watch the full event on Ecojustice’s Facebook page.
Councillor Janelle Nahmabin and Environment Coordinator Lynn Rosales from Aamjiwnaang were joined by Jay Telegdi, Liz Pijogge, and Gerald Lennie Inglangasuk as panelists at an event hosted by Environmental Defence and Ecojustice. The speakers shared how the full lifecycle of plastic, from extraction through to production, use, and disposal, threatens the health of their communities and lands.
Councillor CJ Smith-White and Lynn Rosales also spoke alongside Yupik Elders Vi Pangunnaaq Waghiyi and Delbert Pungowiyi, and Frankie Orona, the Executive Director, Society of Native Nations, at an event where the Indigenous Arctic and First Nations speakers shared their experiences facing the interlinked threats from plastics, petrochemicals, and climate change.[4]
Frontline communities and allies show up in solidarity with Aamjiwnaang First Nation
In little more than 24 hours, 113 frontline allies, advocacy groups, and organizations signed an open letter addressed to Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault in support of Aamjiwnaang. Councillor Janelle Nahmabin joined Ecojustice Law Reform Manager Melissa Gorrie and other health and environmental justice groups to discuss the letter in a press conference hosted at the Parliamentary Press Gallery.
Building on the growing calls for action, the global movement Break Free From Plastic organized an event on Saturday, April 27 across the street from the negotiations, where dozens of supporters stood in solidarity with Aamjiwnaang.
What can you do about to show solidarity with Aamjiwnaang?
Aamjiwnaang faces an unacceptable risk to community health, including increased respiratory illnesses, cancer, and impacts on mental and cultural well-being from surrounding industrial facilities that emit high levels of toxic chemicals like benzene and sulphur dioxide (SO2). The toxic pollution harms the air, land and water, essential to Aamjiwnaang’s cultural practices, law and way of life.
While a strong global plastics treaty is an important step, bold, urgent action is also needed domestically. Aamjiwnaang asserts their right to make decisions about the health, land, and well-being of their people, with free, prior, and informed consent. For decades, both Ontario and Canadian governments have neglected to address the severe impact of pollution on Aamjiwnaang. It’s only with a willingness to work in collaboration that the province, the federal government and Aamjiwnaang can collectively co-create the new path forward.
Enough is enough. By taking action today, you can help hold governments accountable and act for environmental justice in Aamjiwnaang. Use your voice to demand action for Aamjiwnaang by sending a letter calling for both the federal and provincial governments to take concrete steps in collaboration with Aamjiwnaang to develop real and lasting solutions that address this environmental injustice.
References
[1] Ontario suspends environmental compliance approval for company near Aamjiwnaang First Nation — CBC Windsor
[2] Demonstrators march through Ottawa, call for end to plastic pollution — CBC
[3] Aamjiwnaang First Nation pushes for seat in global plastics treaty negotiations
— CBC
[4] At Plastics Treaty Talks, Indigenous and First Nations Leaders Call for Swift Global Action to Protect Health and the Environment from Toxic Plastics — Stop Poison Plastic
