Deadlocked Global Plastics Treaty Talks to Resume Next YearDeadlocked Global Plastics Treaty Talks to Resume Next Year

Global plastics treaty talks go into extra innings next year after negotiators advanced a “Chair’s Text” during the fifth session of the United Nations (U.N.) Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5), which ended in the early hours of Dec. 2 in Busan, South Korea. 

The agreement sends forward a draft text that offers a multitude of optional language to be addressed in next year’s additional negotiating session. Those options illustrate continued lack of accord over whether to limit plastic production and ban some harmful chemicals or redouble efforts to focus on plastic waste.

According to an Associated Press report, the proposal to limit production “includes a compromise that would set a target at a later conference and an option to drop the idea altogether.”

Stitching together a narrative

The introductory text of Article 3 of the Chair’s Text, titled Plastics Products, highlights the enduring chasm over these competing motives:

“Each Party shall, [in accordance with its national circumstances, capacities, [capabilities] and socioeconomic considerations,] take [appropriate [technical,] legislative, administrative, [or] [market-driven] [or other]] measures [in a non-discriminatory manner] to [prohibit [or reduce] the manufacture, export or import] [address], manage, [reduce, [or prohibit,]]] as appropriate [with the view to maintain sustainable production], of [single use or short lived] plastic products [that] [are proven by scientific evidence to] [meet] [any] [all] [one or more] [based on the criteria developed by the Review Committee including] of the following criteria [and that it identifies as consistent with paragraph 1bis]:

Related:Introducing The Food and Beverage Carton Alliance

The Chair’s Text to be considered in 2025 is the result of a weeklong series of talks among more than 3,300 delegates, including representatives of over 170 member nations, who negotiated two documents.

‘Persisting divergence in critical areas'

The Busan talks “have moved us closer to agreeing on a global legally binding treaty that will protect our health, our environment, and our future from the onslaught of plastic pollution,” said Inger Andersen, executive director of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP). “This week’s meeting has made good progress toward securing the deal the world demands. … Negotiators have reached a greater degree of convergence on the structure and elements of the treaty text, as well as a better understanding of country positions and shared challenges. But it is clear there is persisting divergence in critical areas and more time is needed for these areas to be addressed.”

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World Wildlife Fund decries 'bad faith' actors

The World Wildlife Fund lamented that “after another week of hard-fought negotiations at INC-5, governments are no closer to agreeing on a treaty to end plastic pollution. Throughout the negotiations, we have seen ongoing opposition from a vocal minority of states, who are clearly negotiating in bad faith and do not want to see a meaningful treaty agreed. 

“The bottom line is that the vast majority of countries that want a strong treaty need to demand more than just an extension of the INC process. They need to demand a change in the process, and this can include an open conference to advance discussions on lists ahead of INC-5.2.”

UNEP aims to adopt an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

More than 400 million tons of new plastic are produced annually around the world, according to the AP — and production could climb about 70% by 2040 without policy changes.

The date and venue of the resumed fifth session had not been announced at the time of writing.