Montgomery, AL – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has joined a coalition of states in urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to refrain from entering international agreements at the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution. The meeting, aimed at addressing global plastic pollution, is taking place this week and involves negotiating a binding international plastics treaty.
Led by Iowa, the letter includes signatures from attorneys general of 12 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. The coalition contends that the Biden administration should avoid agreements that could restrict policy decisions under future leadership.
Attorney General Marshall stated, “The will of the American people is clear: the failed policies of the Biden-Harris administration are for the history books. It’s time their administration stand-down, and not tie the hands of President Trump, simply to pacify a few of their voters.”
The letter argues that international agreements reached during this transition period may not align with the direction of future administrations and could bind the incoming administration’s ability to shape U.S. policy on plastic pollution.
The coalition emphasizes that Secretary Blinken should defer major commitments to the incoming administration to respect the democratic process and the priorities of the American electorate. The letter calls for the Biden administration to avoid what they describe as “radical agreements” that may have long-term implications.
As the international community deliberates on strategies to combat plastic pollution, the states advocate for delaying negotiations until the new administration assumes office.
