The global plastic treaty collapsed as no agreement with strict, enforceable rules to reduce plastic pollution was achieved, despite 10 days of negotiations by nations at the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution, including the marine environment, called the INC 5.2 negotiations. The discussions, which took place between 5 to 14 August, aimed to finalise a legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution and address the full life cycle of plastic—from design to disposal.
The meeting drew more than 2,600 participants and over 1,400 member delegates from 183 nations. A treaty can only become enforceable once each nation agrees to the proposals, but consensus could not be reached on key issues such as whether the treaty should impose caps on new plastic production or instead focus on waste management, reuse, and improved design.
However, this is not the end of hope, since talks will resume in the future, though no date has been set yet. Despite the disappointment, INC Chair Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso expressed optimism: “It should not lead to discouragement. On the contrary, it should spur us to regain our energy, renew our commitments, and unite our aspirations.”
Negotiations towards a global plastic treaty have been underway since 2022. The first United Nations gathering on plastic pollution was conducted in Nairobi, Kenya, on 28 February 2022. The session adopted the Kenya Resolution 5/14 on plastic pollution, which called for a legally binding instrument towards an international reduction in plastic.