SPE and UNEP Partner for Global Plastics Waste Treaty

SPE WORKSHOP: What's Next: A Recap on UNEP 5.2 and a Look Ahead

  Roundtable

What's Next: A Recap on UNEP 5.2 and a Look Ahead

  Summary

A roundtable discussion, hosted by Conor Carlin, SPE's UNEP Representative.

Discussion included participants who were inside the room at the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Panelists focused on:

  • What actually happened at UNEP INC-5.2
  • Impact on industry, academia, and sustainability leaders
  • How global negotiations may shape policy, regulations, and markets
  • What's coming next and how you can prepare

  Moderator

Conor is the founder and president of Clefs Advisory LLC, a boutique consulting firm advising start-ups and established companies at the nexus of materials, energy, and sustainability.

He was President (2024) for the Society of Plastics Engineers and was elected as the first Vice President of Sustainability for the association in 2017. In 2024 and 2025, he led the SPE delegation to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) INC5.1 & 5.2 global plastics pollution treaty discussions in S. Korea and Switzerland.

Conor is the co-author and editor of the 2nd edition of “Plastics & Sustainability: Grey is the New Green” published by Scrivener/Wiley (2021). In addition, his writing on sustainable materials management has been featured in industry publications in North America, Europe, and China.

With 20 years of experience leading commercial strategy in the materials, energy, and sustainability sectors, Conor brings a sharp focus to driving market expansion, leading high-value negotiations, and building brand equity. He has delivered multimillion dollar capital equipment and technology sales in US and international markets to Fortune 100 clients.

Conor has led several field consulting management projects covering energy efficiency software applications, 2nd generation cellulosic ethanol start-ups, wastewater treatment companies, and plastic recycling technologies.

He has degrees from Boston University (BA, International Relations / French) and the FW Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College (MBA). He currently serves as Committee Member for the Plymouth (Massachusetts) Climate Action Net Zero Board and the Recycling Committee.

  Panelists

Fiorella Danjoy Acosta
Regional Director (Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Perú)
Recicla Latam

Fiorella is a lawyer with over 17 years of experience in corporate law, sustainable development and public affairs. Throughout her career, she has held various leadership positions and contributed to the development of public policies.

She currently serves as Regional Director at NGO Recicla Latam where she leads waste management programs in Perú, Colombia and Ecuador. Additionally, she is member of the Leaders Group for Peru´s National Plastic Action Platform and a member of the advisory committee of the Environmental Administration and Management Program of San Ignacio de Loyola University.

Fiorella promotes social inclusion, equality, sustainability, and the Circular Economy.

Tania Ferlin is a passionate and energetic sustainability professional with a wide range and depth of experience spanning advocacy, government affairs, ESG strategy, social impact, employee engagement, culture strategy and building, partnership management, and communications. As Director of Sustainability Advocacy at Husky Technologies™, Tania embraces the role of both a strategic and tactical leader, as she heads the strategy, implementation, and coordination of the company’s sustainability advocacy and ESG strategy.

Prior to joining Husky, Tania grew a successful career in the hospitality industry, where she led the awareness movement in North America of Human Trafficking, speaking to and educating tens of thousands of industry professionals on the issue. Now, she is eagerly championing another worthy cause – advocating for the Circular Economy of plastics.

Hodayah is a seasoned leader, negotiator and strategic thinker with demonstrated success in developing and implementing complex environmental initiatives. Supervisory professional managing a staff of international relations specialists at a major federal government entity, focused on results that improve US human health and the environment through diplomacy, partnerships and agreements. Routinely advise high level officials and represent views of the United States government to external parties.

Julie Pieters (Belgian) is the EU Policy Affairs Manager at European Bioplastics, with a strong background in law and diplomacy. She holds a master’s degree in law from the Free University of Brussels and an LLM in European Law from Panthéon-Assas (Paris). In her current role at European Bioplastics, Julie engages with policymakers, stakeholders, and industry leaders to ensure that biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastic solutions are integrated into European regulatory frameworks.




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