Kristen Edgreen Kaufman at the inaugural OECD Critical Minerals Forum in Istanbul.

USCIB champions policies that incentivize private sector innovation, promote sustainable solutions, and uphold the global competitiveness of US business and industry. USCIB plays a pivotal role in advocating constructive policy outcomes across areas such as the sound management of chemicals and waste, plastic pollution, and critical minerals. We accomplish this by bringing positions informed by US business innovation and technical expertise to key high-stakes negotiations across the multilateral system.

What’s at Stake for US Business

  • New critical minerals, plastics, and chemicals regulations that are unnecessarily burdensome to companies pose significant risks to US competitiveness and innovation. At the same time, US companies are global leaders in innovation and technical expertise, advancing responsible and sustainable practices across operations.
  • Ongoing Negotiations Towards a New Plastic Pollution Treaty: The ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process to develop a global treaty on plastic pollution has major repercussions for US business’ bottom line. This treaty will invariably reshape US business operations, sourcing strategies, supply chains, and compliance costs across industries such as packaging, petrochemicals, and consumer goods. USCIB members continue to actively support the INC process and push for a successful outcome that will produce a Plastic Pollution Treaty underpinned by constructive policy incentives that recognize the positive role of the private sector.
  • Global Framework on Chemicals: The GFC Secretariat is convening its first international conference in November in Geneva. The GFC is a voluntary and non- binding framework that includes 28 global targets that will shape expectations for how chemicals are produced, used, and disposed of, especially around PFAS, endocrine disruptors, plastics, and chemical mixtures. As governments (including the US) align domestic policies with these targets, US companies may face increased regulatory pressure, new reporting and transparency demands, and higher compliance and risk-management costs. USCIB members remain supportive of the GFC and its constructive voluntary nature, which leaves room for flexibility to adapt to rapid innovations and future regulatory developments.
  • Basel Convention: This is a global treaty regulating the cross-border movement of hazardous waste, shaping how e-waste is recycled worldwide, and there is growing momentum for rules that would restrict US companies’ access to critical materials in the secondary (recycled) market.

Kristen Edgreen Kaufman and Agnes Vinblad represent business at INC-5.2.

USCIB Actions:

USCIB will represent its members’ interests in multilateral institutions such as the UN and the OECD, serving as a critical bridge between industry and policymakers through strategic briefings with US and international government leaders.

Bringing together a broad spectrum of companies, from major upstream producers to global downstream consumer brands, USCIB aligns its diverse membership around shared priorities, including a plastic pollution treaty that advances effective waste management, encourages private-sector innovation, and enables US businesses to support a circular economy.

USCIB will advocate for a strong private-sector voice in the meetings and processes outlined below, while also encouraging sustained engagement by the US government.

  • INC Plastic Pollution Treaty: USCIB will lead a multisectoral delegation to the next round of negotiations, expected to be scheduled for late 2026 or early 2027
  • OECD’s Inaugural Critical Minerals Conference
  • The First International Conference under the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC IC-1)
  • OECD meetings under the Working Party for Resource Productivity & Waste (WPRPW)

Chair

Sophia Danenberg
Manager, Environmental Health and Safety
Regulatory Program
The Boeing Company

Staff

Kristen Kaufman
Senior Vice President, Global Impact Initiatives
kkaufman@uscib.org

Agnes Vinblad
Senior Director, Environment and Sustainable Development
avinblad@uscib.org

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