Plastic Pollution Talks Fail-Again

DANIEL RAUSH, AN EUROPEAN SALT TRADER TO AHOM KINGDOM

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May 16, 2026

Plastic Pollution Talks Fail-Again

The long-anticipated negotiations in Geneva to forge a global treaty aimed at ending plastic pollution have collapsed without agreement, leaving the world no closer to a unified plan to tackle one of the most pervasive environmental threats of our time.

Delegates from 185 nations worked through the night past the official deadline, but deep divisions over the scope of the treaty and its core objectives proved insurmountable.

The deadlock centred on whether the agreement should impose global limits on plastic production and regulate toxic chemicals used in manufacturing, or whether it should focus more narrowly on waste management.

The 2nd Part of the 5th Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to Develop an International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution, Including in the Marine Environment(INC=5.2) was supposed to be the final meeting for negotiators to work on outstanding questions on a potential treaty to tackle plastic pollution, including whether the treaty should include caps on the production of primary plastic, how to address chemicals of concern in plastic products, and how to effectively and fairly finance the implementation of the new treaty.

The breakdown marks the sixth and final round of talks in a process launched in 2022 with great optimism. What was meant to be the defining moment in establishing a legally binding global instrument against plastic pollution instead became a showcase of the challenges facing multilateral diplomacy.

Countries expressed disappointment, frustration, and even anger, but many vowed to continue discussions at a resumed session in the future. Some suggested a fresh approach, with new leadership and rules that would allow for voting rather than relying solely on consensus, which they argued enables a small minority to stall progress. Others called for a “clean slate,” while some preferred to reflect before resuming negotiations.

The split amongst the negotiators was stark. The High Ambition Coalition – including the European Union, Britain, Canada, and many African and Latin American nations – pushed for caps on plastic production, phaseouts of dangerous chemicals, and strong enforcement mechanisms.

On the other side, the Like-Minded Group of oil-producing states, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Russia, Iran, and Malaysia, rejected the inclusion of the full life cycle of plastics in the treaty’s scope and opposed any binding limits on production. They argued such measures would penalise resource-rich developing nations and should remain outside the treaty’s remit.

The chair of the negotiations, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, presented two draft texts during the week in an attempt to bridge divides, but neither was accepted as a basis for further talks. Oil-producing states complained the drafts were unbalanced, though they acknowledged the final proposal recognised that current production and consumption levels were unsustainable. The meeting formally adjourned without a new date or venue set for resumption.

Beyond the political wrangling, the stakes remain immense. The world produces more than 400 million tonnes of plastic every year, half of it for single-use items. Only about 9 percent of all plastic waste is recycled; nearly half is buried in landfills, 17 percent is incinerated, and more than one-fifth is mismanaged and ends up as litter. Microplastics have been detected from the peaks of the highest mountains to the depths of the ocean and even within the human body.

Without decisive action, production of fossil-fuel-based plastics is projected to nearly triple by 2060 to 1.2 billion tonnes annually, with waste surpassing one billion tonnes. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warns that, without significant policy change, plastic pollution will continue to grow unchecked, damaging ecosystems and human health.

The collapse in Geneva followed a similar failure at the previous round of talks in South Korea late last year. Despite these repeated setbacks, many delegations insist they will keep pushing for a comprehensive treaty that addresses the problem at its source as well as at the waste stage. Supporters of ambitious measures argue that tackling only waste management is insufficient when plastic production itself continues to grow at an exponential rate.

As delegates left the UN venue on Friday morning, there was little clarity on what comes next. Some saw a glimmer of hope in the detailed exchanges of the past week, believing that a resumed session could build on this groundwork. Others feared that without structural changes to the negotiation process, history would repeat itself, with the same disputes derailing future talks.

On the way forward, some emphasized their commitment to continuing negotiations in a further resumed INC session, while others preferred a period of reflection on how to bridge the seemingly intractable gaps. Others still called for a “clean slate” and for a “new process.”

Several delegates also stressed that the latest iteration of the text was unacceptable as a basis for further negotiations, preferring to use of the Chair’s Text circulated on 1 December 2024. Yet others proposed that the work completed in contact groups, as well as the various iterations of text be available as a basis for further negotiations.

For now, the fight against plastic pollution returns to national capitals and regional forums, where countries will decide whether to regroup and try again under the current process or seek alternative avenues. Environmental advocates caution that every delay comes at a steep cost: more plastic in the oceans, more toxins in the environment, and more pressure on communities already bearing the brunt of pollution. The ambition to create a binding global treaty remains alive, but its path forward is uncertain.

Rituraj Phukan: Founder, Indigenous People’s Climate Justice Forum; Co-Founder, Smily Academy ;National Coordinator for Biodiversity, The Climate Reality Project India; Member, IUCN Wilderness Specialist Group; Commission Member – IUCN WCPA Climate Change, IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation, IUCN WCPA Indigenous People and Protected Areas Specialist Groups, IUCN WCPA South Asia Region and IUCN WCPA-SSC Invasive Alien Species Task Force; Member, International Antarctic Expedition 2013; Climate Force Arctic 2019 ; Ambassador, Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary. Rituraj Phukan is the Climate Editor, Mahabahu and Convenor, Mahabahu Climate Forum.

15-08-2025

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