Global Plastic Pollution Treaty Talks End Without Agreement

Negotiations for a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution stalled during the fifth U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting in Busan, South Korea. While over 100 countries supported capping plastic production, a handful of petrochemical-producing nations, including Saudi Arabia, opposed such measures and used procedural tactics to delay progress. The meeting concluded without consensus, postponing decisions to a future INC-5.2 session.

Key divisions included whether to cap plastic production, manage chemicals of concern, and provide financial support to developing nations. A proposal led by Panama to reduce global plastic production gained widespread support, while a competing draft, influenced by opposition from Saudi Arabia and others, excluded such targets. The treaty, if finalized, could rival the 2015 Paris Agreement in significance for environmental protection.

Plastic production is projected to triple by 2050, with microplastics increasingly found in food, air, and even human breast milk. Despite the setback, negotiators emphasized the urgency of resuming talks, with Panama’s Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez warning, “Every day of delay is a day against humanity.”