Countries negotiating a global treaty to curb plastic pollution at the fifth UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) in Busan, South Korea, failed to reach an agreement. With more than 100 nations wanting to cap production while a handful of oil producers were prepared only to target plastic waste, countries remained far apart on the basic scope of a treaty.
They could agree only to postpone key decisions and resume talks, dubbed INC 5.2, to a later date. According to Inger Andersen, executive director of the U.N. Environment Program, it is clear that there is persisting divergence in the talks toward obtaining a global plastics treaty.
During the negotiations, the most divisive issues included capping plastic production, managing plastic products and chemicals of concern, and financing to help developing countries implement the treaty.
The delegates faulted the revised document, meant to form the basis of a treaty, released on Sunday by the meeting chair, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, claiming it is riddled with options on the most sensitive issues.
Juliet Kabera, director general of Rwanda’s Environment Management Authority said that a treaty that only relies on voluntary measures would not be acceptable.
“It is time we take it seriously and negotiate a treaty that is fit for purpose and not built to fail,” she added.
During the negotiations, a small number of petrochemical-producing nations tried to use procedural tactics to delay negotiations while strongly opposing efforts to reduce plastic production.
“There was never any consensus,” said Saudi Arabian delegate Abdulrahman Al Gwaiz. “There are a couple of articles that somehow seem to make it (into the document) despite our continued insistence that they are not within the scope.”
The delay in negotiations comes shortly after the contentious conclusion of the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. At the summit, nations agreed on a new global target to mobilize $300 billion annually for climate finance, a commitment criticized by small island nations and many developing countries as grossly inadequate.
Progress at the climate talks was also hindered by procedural tactics from Saudi Arabia, which resisted language affirming previous commitments to transition away from fossil fuels.
Some delegates accused certain countries of leveraging the U.N.’s consensus rules to block compromises and stall the proceedings.
Cheikh Ndiaye Sylla, Senegal’s National Delegate, criticized the exclusion of voting throughout the negotiations, calling it “a big mistake.” This decision had been made during the second round of talks in Paris the previous year.
“This outcome highlights the challenges of tackling plastic pollution globally and the need for further discussions to achieve a treaty that is effective, inclusive, and practical,” said Chris Jahn, secretary of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), which represents plastic manufacturers.
The environmental group GAIA expressed skepticism, stating, “There is little confidence that the next INC will succeed where INC-5 failed.”
Plastic production is projected to triple by 2050, with microplastics now detected in the air, fresh produce, and even human breast milk.
According to a 2023 U.N. Environment Program report, over 3,200 chemicals in plastics have been identified as hazardous, with women and children particularly vulnerable to their effects.
Despite the postponement, many negotiators emphasized the urgency of resuming talks.
“Every day we delay is a day against humanity. Postponing negotiations does not delay the crisis,” warned Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez, head of Panama’s delegation. “When discussions resume, the stakes will be even higher.”
Had these divisions been resolved, the treaty could have become one of the most impactful agreements on environmental protection since the 2015 Paris Accord.
