UN Plastics Treaty talks in Geneva fail; end without a treaty

After nearly ten days of negotiations, delegates from more than 180 countries failed to reach a consensus on the scope and ambition of the proposed agreement, leaving the future of the treaty uncertain.

This setback comes against a backdrop of escalating environmental crises and waning confidence in international governance. Global plastic production is projected to soar by 70% by 2040 if left unchecked, with less than 10% currently being recycled and huge volumes polluting land, water, and air.

The breakdown centred on irreconcilable rifts between two major blocs. Over 100 nations, including those in the European Union, Switzerland, and much of the Global South, were pushing for measures to address the entire life cycle of plastics. Their proposals included legally binding limits on plastic production and controls on hazardous chemicals used in plastics.

However, a coalition of oil-producing states, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia and joined by several others, strongly resisted moves to ban plastics. They argued in favour of prioritising recycling, reusing, and redesigning plastics instead, rejecting any restrictions on production or mandatory commitments. This opposition allowed them to block movement on legally binding measures, as the consensus-based negotiation process gave any dissenting group effective veto power.

Negotiators spent days reviewing and ultimately rejecting multiple draft texts, including those that tried to balance voluntary and binding approaches. Many countries dismissed the most recent drafts as inadequate, arguing that they represented mere waste management efforts and ignored core issues like harmful chemicals and production limits. According to reports, by the final session, there was not even agreement on the treaty’s basic scope or definitions. 

Despite the failure, the United Nations and environmental campaigners have voiced hope that talks will resume. The negotiating committee is expected to return to a prior draft as a basis for future discussions, though the timing and structure of these talks remain unclear. According to news agency reports, UN Environment Programme chief Inger Andersen emphasised that “work will not cease, as plastic pollution will not cease,” and reaffirmed the continued engagement of the international community.

Negotiations for a global plastics treaty began formally in 2022, with countries agreeing to craft a legally binding instrument targeting plastic pollution across its life cycle.