English student sentenced for defrauding Swiss bank customers

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The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) had been conducting the criminal proceedings since 2022. The now 21-year-old Englishman had used fake e-banking login pages of Swiss banks to intercept the access data of Swiss customers and hacked into their accounts.

The OAG took over 30 fraud cases from the cantons in connection with the case. In the course of joint investigations with the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), the young Englishman was identified as the developer and distributor of the phishing kit.

The criminal proceedings were then taken over by the British authorities, who were already conducting similar proceedings against the individual, as was reported on Tuesday.

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

S&P 500 Futures Gain With Data in Focus Before Fed: Markets Wrap

(Bloomberg) — US equity futures gained as a deluge of data is seen reinforcing the picture of a buoyant economy, diverting attention from trade negotiations.

S&P 500 contacts advanced 0.3% Tuesday after the index inched to its latest record high. A gauge of the dollar was little changed after climbing to its strongest level in more than five weeks on speculation a slew of readings on the economy will show the tariff impact is contained, for now.

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Investor attention is turning from recent US tariff deals with the European Union and Japan to key indicators spanning jobs and inflation to broader economic activity. The Federal Reserve is forecast to keep interest rates unchanged Wednesday, while investors will be tracking earnings from four megacap tech companies this week.

Traders continue to lean toward a quarter-point reduction at the Fed’s meeting in mid-September, with around 100 basis points of easing seen over the next 12 months. Pressure from the White House for immediate rate cuts has the potential to sow dissent as Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues begin a two-day meeting.

“President Trump continues to call for much lower interest rates,” Gabriele Foà, portfolio manager at Algebris Investments, wrote in a note. “With inflation not surging and the labor market softening, maintaining real rates at their current elevated levels will be increasingly difficult.”

US consumer confidence is expected to have shown an improvement in data due Tuesday, with JOLTS job openings statistics also on deck. Growth and inflation numbers out Wednesday are seen offering further signs of economic resilience.

On the earnings front, Magnificent Seven members Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Meta Platforms Inc. are all due to report numbers in the coming days. Robust corporate earnings have bolstered investor confidence in US stocks, as companies head for their highest share of beats since the second quarter of 2021.

Also in focus will be the Treasury Department’s update of debt-sales plans, due Wednesday. Traders expect issuance of Treasury bills to expand as the government tackles the financing of large deficits over the next quarter and into 2026.

Read: For Bond Dealers, It’s All About Bills at Bessent’s Treasury

Meanwhile, US and Chinese officials finished the first of two days of talks aimed at extending their tariff truce beyond a mid-August deadline and hashing out ways to maintain trade ties while safeguarding economic security.

The EU dodged an imminent trade war with the US, but markets and a growing chorus of critics have dispelled early hopes that the deal will bring a sense of stability back to transatlantic relations. The EU and US will seek to clinch a non-legally binding joint statement by Aug. 1 that will expand on some of the elements negotiated over the weekend, according to a senior EU official.

One advantage to a trade deal that benefits the US more than Europe, for stock investors at least, is a weaker euro that makes European exports more competitive. The euro extended its slide to the weakest level in more than a month amid concern over the economic impact of the EU’s deal with the US.

“There is one positive, and it’s not the trade deal,” said Andrea Gabellone, equity strategist at KBC Securities in Brussels. “The positive is what happened yesterday on the FX market when finally the dollar caught a bid and the euro had a healthy correction.”

Corporate Highlights:

Barclays Plc is buying back a further £1 billion ($1.3 billion) worth of shares after its traders turned in a better-than-expected quarter. AstraZeneca Plc reported better-than-expected sales and rising profit for the second quarter, spurred by its stable of cancer medicines. Royal Philips NV increased its profitability outlook as the impact of the trade war was not as severe as it feared. Union Pacific Corp. is nearing an agreement for a stock-and-cash deal for Norfolk Southern Corp. that would value the smaller rival at about $320 a share, people familiar with the matter said, in what would be the rail industry’s biggest-ever tie-up. Some of the main moves in markets:

Stocks

S&P 500 futures rose 0.3% as of 6:50 a.m. New York time Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.5% Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average were little changed The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 1% The MSCI World Index was little changed Currencies

The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed The euro fell 0.1% to $1.1576 The British pound was little changed at $1.3358 The Japanese yen was unchanged at 148.53 per dollar Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin rose 0.3% to $118,430.19 Ether rose 1.3% to $3,838.22 Bonds

The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined one basis point to 4.40% Germany’s 10-year yield was little changed at 2.69% Britain’s 10-year yield was little changed at 4.64% Commodities

West Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.1% to $66.80 a barrel Spot gold rose 0.3% to $3,324.10 an ounce This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.

–With assistance from Anand Krishnamoorthy and Alice Atkins.

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.

Israelis in Switzerland appeal to Swiss Foreign Minister

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The letter was written by 45 Israeli citizens living in Switzerland and addressed Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis last week.

Galia Faingold co-initiated the letter. She lived in Israel for most of her life, studied mechanical engineering, and is currently working at the Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich after completing her doctorate. The impetus for the letter came from the stories of a Palestinian friend who also lives in Switzerland. He described how dire the situation in Gaza is.

When asked about her expectations of the federal government, Faingold said that as a foreigner in Switzerland, she does not consider it her place to tell the Swiss government what to do, “but as the guardian of the Geneva Conventions and a country with strong diplomatic influence, I hope that Switzerland can do more”. She added that “the current situation is catastrophic – not only for the Palestinians, who are facing a humanitarian disaster, but also for the Israelis, because it leaves deep moral scars on our society.”

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The letter to Ignazio Cassis states that there is also increasing moral debate about the war in Israel. Faingold cited last March as a turning point in the attitude of many Israelis. Israel had broken the ceasefire at that time. “From then on, it became increasingly difficult to justify the war. War does not bring back hostages. It does not bring peace. And it definitely does not bring justice.”

Inbal Ben Ezer, who has lived in Zurich with her family for nine years, also co-signed the letter. She is a peace researcher and also works at ETH Zurich. The letter is intended to amplify the voices of Palestinians, she says. “And then the letter should also amplify those voices in Israel that are now critical of current policy and calling for an end to starvation as a method of warfare.”

As an Israeli living in Switzerland, she feels a particular obligation to take action, says Inbal Ben Ezer. This is because many people in Israel are unaware of what is actually happening in Gaza, as the media coverage of the war is one-sided and the humanitarian plight of the Palestinians is hardly mentioned. Here in Switzerland, she has broader access to information.

What is expected of Switzerland

Yves Kugelmann, editor-in-chief of the Jewish newspaper Tachles, says that critical voices from the Israeli community in Switzerland toward successive Israeli governments are nothing new. What is new, however, is that such voices are now manifesting themselves publicly as a group.

According to Kugelmann, the initiative also shows how Switzerland is perceived: for example, as the depositary state of the Geneva Conventions and a point of contact for the preservation of international humanitarian law. That is why the letter was also addressed to the Swiss Foreign Ministry: “A Foreign Ministry that is currently maneuvering in the Middle East more than other governments.”

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

European Stocks Gain as Earnings Soften Tariff Hit: Markets Wrap

(Bloomberg) — European stocks posted modest gains as positive earnings news diverted some of the market’s focus away from concerns about the outcome of tariff negotiations.

The Stoxx 600 index advanced 0.6%. Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.2% after the index inched to its latest record high Monday. The dollar climbed to a five-week high, while the euro extended its slide, a day after its deepest decline in over two months. 

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Royal Philips NV shares surged 13% after the Dutch medical-technology firm increased its profitability outlook as the impact of the trade war was not as severe as it feared. AstraZeneca Plc rose after reporting better-than-expected sales and rising profit for the second quarter, spurred by its stable of cancer medicines. Barclays Plc fluctuated after its update. 

“Today’s reassuring results are somewhat compensating the concerns one can have on the impact of the US tariffs on the European economy,” said Amelie Derambure, a senior multi-asset portfolio manager at Amundi SA.

Investor attention is turning from recent US tariff deals with the European Union and Japan to a slate of key indicators — spanning jobs and inflation to broader economic activity. The spotlight will fall on the Federal Reserve’s policy decision Wednesday, where officials are expected to hold rates steady, followed by earnings from four megacap tech companies.

The key for markets this week is a rate decision by the Fed, while the Bank of Japan will also announce a policy decision.

Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues will begin a two-day meeting Tuesday to deliberate on rates at a time of immense political pressure, evolving trade policy, and economic cross-currents.

Traders price no prospect of a US rate shift this week, and continue to lean toward a quarter-point reduction at the Fed’s meeting in mid-September, with around 100 basis points of easing seen over the next 12 months. Still, pressure from the White House for immediate rate cuts has the potential to sow dissent among Fed officials.

“President Trump continues to call for much lower interest rates,” Gabriele Foà, portfolio manager at Algebris Investments, wrote in a note. “With inflation not surging and the labour market softening, maintaining real rates at their current elevated levels will be increasingly difficult.”

In a rare occurrence, policymakers will convene in the same week that the government issues reports on gross domestic product, employment and the Fed’s preferred price metrics. Forecasters anticipate the heavy dose of data will show economic activity rebounded in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, US and Chinese officials finished the first of two days of talks aimed at extending their tariff truce beyond a mid-August deadline and hashing out ways to maintain trade ties while safeguarding economic security.

The EU dodged an imminent trade war with the US, but markets and a growing chorus of critics have dispelled early hopes that the deal will bring a sense of stability back to transatlantic relations. The EU and US will seek to clinch a non-legally binding joint statement by Aug. 1 that will expand on some of the elements negotiated over the weekend, according to a senior EU official.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who initially cheered the deal as having “succeeded” in avoiding a trade conflict, seemed to sour on the accord. “The German economy will suffer significant damage from these tariffs,” he told reporters Monday. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou also criticized the deal.

Corporate Highlights:

• Barclays Plc is buying back a further £1 billion ($1.3 billion) worth of shares after its traders turned in a better-than-expected quarter.
• AstraZeneca Plc reported better-than-expected sales and rising profit for the second quarter, spurred by its stable of cancer medicines.
• Royal Philips NV increased its profitability outlook as the impact of the trade war was not as severe as it feared.
• EssilorLuxottica SA posted better-than-expected revenue in the second quarter, as the world’s biggest eyewear maker showed strong gains in Europe
• Chinese childcare-related stocks advance after the government rolled out a new subsidy program across the nation in an effort to boost the birth rate.

Some of the main moves in markets:

Stocks

• The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.6% as of 9:28 a.m. London time
• S&P 500 futures rose 0.2%
• Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.4%
• Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1%
• The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.5%
• The MSCI Emerging Markets Index fell 0.3%

Currencies

• The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.1%
• The euro fell 0.2% to $1.1564
• The Japanese yen was little changed at 148.46 per dollar
• The offshore yuan was little changed at 7.1800 per dollar
• The British pound fell 0.1% to $1.3339

Cryptocurrencies

• Bitcoin rose 0.7% to $118,920.58
• Ether rose 2.1% to $3,869.32

Bonds

• The yield on 10-year Treasuries was little changed at 4.41%
• Germany’s 10-year yield advanced two basis points to 2.71%
• Britain’s 10-year yield advanced two basis points to 4.67%

Commodities

• Brent crude fell 0.1% to $69.95 a barrel
• Spot gold rose 0.4% to $3,327.36 an ounce

This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation. 

–With assistance from Anand Krishnamoorthy and Michael Mackenzie.

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.

UBS orders bankers to scale back sale of complex currency products 

UBS has ordered bankers to scale back sales of complex currency derivatives after clients suffered heavy losses linked to Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariff announcements. 

The Swiss bank told advisers to stop pitching the structured FX products — known as Range Target Profit Forwards (RTPFs) — to many clients, according to three people familiar with the discussions, amid growing concerns about sales practices and whether the products were suitable. 

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UBS has already made more than 100 “goodwill” payments to customers who lost money when the US dollar moved sharply in the wake of Trump’s April tariff announcements. 

The bank was now running internal role-play sessions to improve how advisers assess client risk profiles and suitability, one of the people said. 

“The tone at internal meetings has completely changed in the past few months,” the person added. “Now it’s all about risk assessment, not boasting about how many clients you got to sign up to these things, which have lucrative fees.” 

One UBS client said his adviser had recently stressed that such products should now be reserved for only the most sophisticated clients, with far greater scrutiny of suitability. 

The person said his adviser who had marketed the products had become far more cautious. 

“This time, my adviser didn’t bring any paperwork — just wanted to talk. He said they’ve been told to stop pushing these.” 

Another person familiar with the situation added the bank was still selling the products, but in much smaller volumes. 

RTPFs are not new but are designed for professional investors with a high risk tolerance, and are restricted or tightly regulated in many jurisdictions, including the UK, Spain, and several Asian markets. 

The products offer limited upside, but expose clients to potentially unlimited losses. 

The ones at issue in UBS’s case involved regularly exchanging US dollars for Swiss francs at a fixed rate, provided the exchange rate stayed within a defined range. But when the dollar dropped sharply after Trump’s tariffs, many clients were forced to continue trading on increasingly unfavourable terms, leading to steep and unexpected financial damage. 

UBS has said it is taking the matter seriously and has proactively contacted clients who suffered “unexpected effects.” An internal task force conducted a broad review and began contacting clients earlier this year. 

But the matter is far from closed. According to Swiss investor protection group SASV, UBS is still holding meetings with aggrieved clients and their lawyers. 

“UBS is pushing many of these clients to end the RTPF contracts in order to get a settlement agreement,” said Arik Röschke, general secretary of the Swiss Association for the Protection of Investors. SASV said it had assisted 46 clients to date, with some having settled. 

Röschke said clients reported that their advisers often failed to understand the product themselves, and in one case, a UBS adviser persuaded a client to mortgage their home to invest in the product. 

“Most of the people who came to us said they had the impression UBS did not look adequately into [their financial] details,” Röschke added. 

A person familiar with the matter confirmed that UBS is in discussions with about two dozen clients and legal representatives. The bank is also reviewing the conduct of six client advisers who sold the products to clients who may not have fully understood the risks, they said. 

Most Swiss private banks, including Lombard Odier, Pictet, and Safra Sarasin, only offer such foreign exchange derivatives to clients who explicitly request them. Most do not offer RTPFs at all. 

The UBS case is especially sensitive because the bank is under heightened regulatory scrutiny following its emergency takeover of Credit Suisse in 2023. The episode has raised fresh concerns about risk controls and client protection at the world’s second-largest wealth manager. 

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025 

Swiss study shows marmots move to higher altitude due to climate change

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This was shown by a study of marmots in the Dischma Valley near Davos in canton Graubünden by researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF. SLF biologist Anne Kempel suspected that the animals were migrating to higher altitudes due to warmer temperatures as a result of climate change, as she explained in a press release issued by the SLF on Tuesday. However, this is only partially true, as the results of the study published in the journal Ecology and Evolution show. The researchers analysed the marmots using the same methods as a study conducted in 1982.

“Other factors probably play a more important role than the warmer temperatures,” explained Kempel. For example, the animals would not find any ground too high up in which they could dig their burrows. In addition, during hibernation they need the thickest possible snow cover to insulate the ground from the cold. These conditions are best at around 2,500 metres, where the animals live today. In addition, plants containing linoleic acid are an important part of the animals’ diet. This unsaturated fatty acid regulates body temperature in winter.

Could become a problem in the long term

In lower parts of the Alps, this could become a problem for the animals. This is because they suffer from heat stress above 25 degrees Celsius, as the SLF explained. They then hide in their dens for long periods during the day and therefore eat less fat for the winter – with fatal consequences in the cold season.

In the long term, this could also become a problem at high altitudes. Because it is getting warmer there too. So far, however, this has not been the case in the Dischma Valley. “But we still only have an average of six days per year with more than 25 degrees in the Dischma Valley, which is too few for negative effects,” said Kempel. Nevertheless, the animals’ habitat is shrinking. This is because the tree line is rising, but marmots need open areas and cannot move further up.

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

More and more children are allergic to cashew nuts

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For the study published in the specialist journal Allergy, an international research team with Swiss participation analysed data from the European Anaphylaxis Register, which includes figures from 142 allergy centres in various countries.

It records so-called anaphylaxis – severe overreactions of the immune system to triggers such as food or medication. The symptoms range from skin rashes and swelling to shortness of breath and anaphylactic shock, in which the heart and circulation can fail in extreme cases.

In total, 23% of the food allergies recorded in the register were attributable to the category of nuts that grow on trees. According to the study, cashew nuts ranked first in this category among children, while the native hazelnuts and walnuts fell to second and third place.

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Stronger than peanuts

Previous studies have confirmed that the immune system of children reacts particularly strongly to a protein in cashew nuts, as the SNSF explained. Anaphylaxis occurs even more frequently than with a peanut allergy. And even smaller amounts than peanuts can trigger an attack.

In adults, on the other hand, allergies to cashew nuts hardly played a role in the cases documented by the anaphylaxis register. The mature immune system is obviously less susceptible.

According to the researchers, the increase in cashew nuts is probably due to the fact that they have been consumed more frequently in recent decades. Cashew nuts are often hidden, for example in products such as pesto, or deliberately used as a vegan source of protein. “As a result, many more children come into contact with cashew nuts at an early age than in the past,” explained Karin Hartmann, a researcher and doctor from the University Hospital Basel who was involved in the study.

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

Former Canadian PM Trudeau visits Valais mountains

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“With Xavier Trudeau to Zermatt in Switzerland for mountaineering, hiking, via ferrata-ing and more melted cheese than anyone should safely eat,” Trudeau wrote with the photo. In an Instagram story, the former politician also showed off his son and the mountain panorama – with a 365-degree shot.

Earlier this year, Trudeau, who was born in the capital Ottawa, stepped down as the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada. He had held the office since 2015 and was subsequently re-elected twice. Trudeau had led the Liberal Party of Canada since 2013.

Five years earlier, he had been elected to the Canadian House of Commons. Trudeau’s father Pierre Elliott was Canadian Prime Minister between 1968 and 1984.

Justin Trudeau has three children with his former wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau – two sons and a daughter.

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

Putin confidante Matviyenko in Geneva despite sanctions

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The experience of two world wars must be a warning against a third world war, said Matviyenko, in view of the conflicts in the world. As an ardent supporter of the war of aggression against Ukraine ordered by Vladimir Putin, the 76-year-old is on Western sanctions lists – those of the US, the EU and Switzerland.

In Russia, pictures were shown of Matviyenko, who had travelled there in a government plane, being greeted with flowers when she landed. She is attending a meeting of presidents of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) lasting several days in Geneva. President of the Swiss House of Representatives Maja Riniker opened the 15th summit of women parliament presidents on Monday.

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Matviyenko, who is said to own a villa with a private beach in Italy, presented herself in Switzerland as an ambassador of understanding and called for peace that guarantees the “security of all nations”. Russia launched its war against Ukraine in February 2022 under the pretext that its own security was endangered by the neighbouring country’s ambitions to join NATO.

In addition to Matviyenko, Duma politicians Leonid Sluzki and Pyotr Tolstoy, who were also sanctioned, were also present at the event in Geneva on Monday.

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) commented on the sanctions in mid-July when asked by Keystone-SDA that Switzerland was responsible for facilitating the entry of official delegates as part of the federal government’s headquarters agreement with the Inter-Parliamentary Union. If necessary, sanctions could be temporarily lifted for the duration of the conference.

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

In Geneva, global accord in sight on plastics pollution

The Palais des Nations in Geneva is gearing up to host high-stakes negotiations that could seal a historic, legally binding deal to end plastic pollution worldwide. From August 5 to 14, 170 delegations will converge in Switzerland to hammer out this unprecedented global accord. 

But several thorny issues must still be resolved before the treaty can be signed. Every year, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic are producedExternal link, half of it for single use. Less than 10% of this waste is recycled. The rest builds up in landfill sites, soil and seas, or breaks down into micro-plastics that contaminate ecosystems and seep even into the human bloodstream. Global plastic production has doubled in the last 20 years and could triple by 2060, according to the OECDExternal link, fuelling a tide of pollution whose health and environmental consequences are still largely unknown.  

Last-chance negotiations

Confronted with this scourge, the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted a landmark resolution in 2022 to draw up a legally binding international treaty against plastic pollution. The aim is to address the entire life cycle of plastic – from limiting production to improving global waste management system. 

But the road to an accord is still strewn with obstacles. In December 2024, at what were supposed to be final negotiations in Busan, South Korea, a bloc of oil-producing countries – including Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran – opposed any limits on production, leading to a resounding failure. The Geneva round in August is likely to be the last chance to reach an agreement. 

Tensions persist

“Cutting production is the most important issue, but also the most difficult to negotiate,” explains Giulia Carlini of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). This sensitive issue pits two camps against each other in a tug-of-war that echoes the climate negotiations.  

On one side, an ambitious coalition led by Norway and Rwanda and including Switzerland is calling for a binding target to cut production by 2040. This is in line with the UN mandate, which covers the entire life cycle of plastics from manufacture to disposal.  

Opposing them, oil- and plastic-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran and China want to limit the treaty to waste management, without restricting production. “Without cutting production, it will be impossible to eliminate plastic pollution,” warns Carlini, a lawyer who is taking part in the negotiations as an observer. 

The idea is to set a global ceiling on plastic production, then gradually reduce it, while limiting the toxic substances used in their manufacture. “More than 16,000 chemicals are used in plastics, but we don’t know how dangerous more than 60% of them are,” stresses Carlini. 

Other key issues include improving product design to facilitate recycling, financing measures in developing countries, and moving to decision-making by vote rather than by consensus. “Without a voting mechanism, we could arrive at the last day in Geneva with an effective text, but with one state blocking the whole process,” Carlini says. 

A host of lobbyists

The talks are taking place under the watchful eye of industry. In Busan, around 220 lobbyists from the fossil fuel and chemical industries took partExternal link in the negotiations, forming the largest delegation present, according to CIEL estimates. “At each session, the number of lobbyists from the fossil fuel and chemical industries increases,” notes Carlini. “This is a major obstacle to an ambitious treaty.”  

To avoid a deadlock, some are proposing an overall target for reducing production and consumption, leaving the details of implementation to annexes, which are easier to amend. “The risk is that some countries will refuse to ratify the treaty if they feel it goes too far,” says Carlini.  

Switzerland, a polluter with ambitions for change 

Switzerland is the second biggest producer of plastic waste per capita in Europe, according to a study by Science Advances, but the Alpine country is nevertheless committed to an ambitious treaty. “The Swiss delegation will defend an effective treaty with internationally binding provisions covering the entire life cycle of plastics,” says Swiss representative Felix Wertli, who heads the International Affairs Division of the environment ministry. 

His priorities include a sustainable reduction in plastics production and consumption, including limiting single-use plastics, restricting chemical substances of concern, greater transparency in the value chain and better product design.  

The Swiss government has previously rejected several initiatives along these lines, citing “economic freedom”. But the situation could change: in January, new provisions were introducedExternal link in the Environmental Protection Act to strengthen the circular economyExternal link, including plastics. Measures to improve recycling and ban certain micro-plasticsExternal link are also under consultation. 

A public health challenge

In Geneva, discussions on the future treaty began well before the official opening of negotiations. For several months, health and human rights experts have been working to make sure the treaty takes account of plastics’ impact on health and human rights.  

The World Health Organization (WHO) will play a key role in these discussions. “This treaty is on a major public health issue. Human health and environmental health are intrinsically linked,” the WHO stresses. Certain additives and chemical substances in plastics can disrupt the hormonal system, affect reproduction and increase the risk of cancer. They are also thought to be associated with chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, as well as respiratory, digestive and neurological disorders.  

The healthcare sector itself will have to evolve, as it generates almost 1.7 million tonnes of plastic waste a year, mainly from single-use equipment. “Many hospitals are already adopting solutions to reduce their plastic impact. This treaty can encourage such initiatives,” states the WHO. 

Including the most vulnerable people 

Recognition of human rights, especially the right to a healthy environment, is a must for several experts. “Plastic pollution disproportionately affects children, workers exposed to these products, and communities living near industrial sites, including indigenous people,” the WHO notes.  

During the negotiations in Busan, indigenous representatives complained that they had not been sufficiently included in decisions that directly affect them. “This is an issue that must be watched carefully during the upcoming discussions in Geneva,” warns Carlini. Is she confident that the talks will result in a treaty?  

“It is better we take time and adopt an ambitious treaty that rethinks our production and consumption systems, rather than a weak text with no impact,” she concludes.  

Edited by Virginie Mangin/ds. Adapted from French by Julia Crawford