Negotiators Fail to Agree on Global Plastic Treaty As Talks Postponed to Next Year

Over 3,300 delegates representing more than 170 nations and 440 organizations met in Busan, South Korea, last week to agree on a legally binding instrument to tackle plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

—

A global treaty to curb plastic pollution has failed to materialize at the end of what was supposed to be the final round of international negotiations.

The week-long meeting in Busan, South Korea, was the last of five scheduled Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meetings intended to yield a legally binding instrument to tackle the rampant plastic crisis. But standing disagreements on the basic scope of the treaty meant a decision could not be reached.

“It is clear there is persisting divergence in critical areas and more time is needed for these areas to be addressed,” UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said on Sunday as she adjourned negotiations to a later unspecified date.

“INC-5.2” will look at resolving many outstanding issues outlined in the final draft text released on Sunday. These include capping plastic production, managing plastic products and hazardous chemicals, and financing to support the implementation of the treaty in developing countries.

Panama on Thursday proposed a plan that would have created a pathway for an unspecified global plastic production reduction target. Despite receiving the backing of more than 100 countries, the plan failed to materialize.

Big oil producing countries, particularly Russia and Saudi Arabia, were accused of standing in the way as they opposed any efforts to curb production, with one EU negotiator blaming them for the meeting’s failure.

“If this wasn’t the last planned meeting, this would have been seen as a great success,” the negotiator said, according to the Financial Times.

“Every day of delay is a day against humanity,” said Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez, Panama’s delegation head, adding that failure to agree on a global treaty would be a “global betrayal.”

The INC was set up in response to a UN Environment Assembly resolution in March 2022 requesting the adopt a legally binding global plastics treaty by the end of 2024. According to the resolution, the instrument could include “both binding and voluntary approaches, based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic.”

The world generates 400 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, 60% of which end up in our natural environment and only 9% of which is recycled. Plastic, which is mostly produced from fossil fuels, also contributes 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, comparable to the emissions of the entire aviation industry. 

Featured image: UNEP/Flickr.