A G7 ministers meeting in Halifax will promote the Canadian-led oceans plastic charter, with Ottawa planning to take the accord to the United Nations General Assembly, says the federal environment minister. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said in an interview Monday the ocean plastics charter will be among the key features of the three-day Halifax gathering that begins Wednesday, as Canada wraps up its presidency of the G7. However, the plastics accord discussion — occurring in a province that relies on a healthy marine environment for fishing and tourism — has strong political appeal, say some observers. In addition, McKenna says an effort is underway to take the ocean plastics charter to the international stage and gain more signatories, both from countries and large corporations. "We're throwing out $150 billion [in plastic waste], which doesn't make any sense," she said.

Source: CBC News September 18, 2018 13:07 UTC