UN plastic treaty talks collapse, again

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🗞️ Driving the news: UN negotiations on a global treaty to end plastic pollution collapsed once again in Geneva, as countries failed to agree on the basic elements of the draft text
• The latest round — intended as the final step after nearly three years and six negotiation sessions — broke down over disagreements on regulating plastic production, legal enforceability, and financial mechanisms
• No consensus was reached, and the treaty process will revert to a prior draft from December 2024

🔭 The context: The treaty process began in 2022 with broad international support, including a 2022 UN resolution to establish a legally binding agreement by 2025
• However, progress has been repeatedly stalled by deep divides between “high ambition” countries (such as EU members, Kenya, and Canada) and major oil-producing states (notably Saudi Arabia, Iran, and now the U.S. under President Trump)
• The most recent breakdown centered on a draft text that removed key language on plastic production caps and hazardous chemicals, prompting backlash from a wide coalition of countries

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Plastic pollution is a global crisis, with production expected to nearly triple by 2060 and current levels already contributing 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions
• A robust treaty could transform the plastics value chain by reducing production, supporting circular economy models, and curbing harmful chemicals
• However, delays and weakened commitments risk locking in decades of additional pollution, disproportionately impacting marine ecosystems, frontline communities, and low-income nations with insufficient waste infrastructure

⏭️ What's next: The treaty process now enters a period of uncertainty. No date or location has been set for the next negotiating round, and calls are growing to abandon the consensus-based model that has enabled persistent obstruction
• Some delegations and civil society actors are advocating for a procedural vote to push the treaty forward without unanimous backing
• Attention is turning to China, which has signaled openness to value chain-wide measures and could become a decisive actor in reshaping negotiation dynamics amid U.S. alignment with petrostates

💬 One quote: “This cannot go on like this. If we don’t try to change the rules, we’re going to get the same result.” – David Azoulay, Center for International Environmental Law

📈 One stat: Plastic production is projected to nearly triple by 2060, exacerbating pollution and emissions unless significant policy interventions are made

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