The diplomat who gave everything to fix plastic pollution. Summit Talks with Luis Vayas Valdivieso

What does it take to dedicate yourself to a treaty the world still hasn't signed?

Beatrice Fihn laces up her hiking boots with Luis Vayas Valdivieso, a career diplomat from Ecuador who poured everything into leading the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations. As they climb the Moléson in the Gruyères region of Switzerland, Luis opens up about his journey from Ecuador to the world stage, why plastic pollution became his defining mission, and what it feels like to carry the weight of 190 governments on your shoulders.

The numbers are staggering. The world produces over 400 million metric tonnes of plastic every year, yet only 9% of all plastic ever made has been recycled. Between 8 and 12 million metric tonnes enter the ocean annually, a figure projected to nearly triple by 2040. Up to 16,000 different chemicals are found across plastic products, many linked to cancer, allergies and organ damage. Microplastics are now being found inside human cells, and evidence shows they can change our DNA.

This is the crisis Luis has been fighting to solve. And this is not a studio conversation. It is a walk through one of Europe's most beautiful landscapes with one of the world's most dedicated environmental negotiators, on the very day he stepped down from his role as chair, following the Geneva talks that failed to produce a final text.

Personal, urgent and filmed against a backdrop that could not be more at odds with the mess we have made of our planet.

00:00 - Welcome to Summit Talks
00:47 - Meet Luis Vayas Valdivieso
01:15 - Why plastic pollution is literally killing us
01:28 - The numbers: how bad is the plastic crisis really?
02:08 - Growing up in Ecuador and becoming a diplomat
03:39 - Does spending time in nature help your work?
04:07 - How Luis got involved in the plastics treaty
04:44 - A brief history of the Global Plastics treaty negotiations
05:23 - Microplastics, chemicals and why scientists are frustrated
07:49 - What it takes to lead a global negotiation
09:23 - Reaching the summit: stepping down, tears and what comes next

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Created by Lex International & Theus Productions
Executive Producers: Beatrice Fihn, Emma Pikes
Produced by Theus Productions
Florent Beauverd – Director
Michaël Theus – Producer
Michaël Perrot – Producer
Jimmy Roura – Artistic Director
Ulysse Katchelewa – Production Coordinator
Thibaud Maury – Director of Photography
Allan Mantilleri – Sound Recordist
Régis Thevenet – Drone Operator
Cornland Studio – Post-Production Sound
Leo Felder – Editor
Fabien Duchamp – Colorist
Antonin Remond – Production Intern

About Summit Talks:
Summit Talks is a content series, where Beatrice Fihn embarks on scenic hikes through Switzerland’s most iconic mountain landscapes alongside some of the world’s most influential diplomats to talk about the importance of international law and multilateralism. Step by step, Beatrice engages her guests in informal, unscripted conversations that delve into how the international community are trying to solve some of the major global issues of our time. Along the way, viewers gain insight not only into the pressing topics discussed but also into the often untold personal stories that shape each diplomat’s journey.

About Lex International:
Lex International Fund is a philanthropic fund hosted by Swiss Philanthropy Foundation to develop and strengthen international law to solve global challenges. We work with civil society movements, international organisations, governments, media, business and scientists to shape new global norms and create bold, innovative solutions to global challenges.

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