NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans announced that Mayor LaToya Cantrell is traveling to Nairobi, Kenya for the third session of the United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee Meeting on Wednesday.
The committee is working to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, according to city officials.
“I am elated to join fellow local leaders and community advocates from around the world on the road to ratifying an ambitious, binding global treaty to stop plastic pollution,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “This invitation speaks directly to New Orleans’ position as a global leader in combatting the ongoing climate crisis. For the past century, our region has served as the ‘gas station’ of the United States, with companies cutting through our coastline and drilling off our shores for energy and petrochemical manufacturing. It is now more important than ever that we work with other communities impacted by this detrimental process and take collective, global action towards eliminating high-risk plastic and microplastic materials and producing more clean energy. Through this international convening of leaders, we aim for immediate and necessary global support to scale these necessary solutions and create a healthier and more sustainable future for generations to come.”
On Sunday Cantrell will speak during a session, titled, “Local Impacts, Local Solutions: Cities Leading the Way.” She will return to New Orleans on Wednesday, Nov. 15.
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