Dismay as UN talks fail to agree on treaty to tackle plastic pollution

Delegates left 'frustrated and disappointed' after deadlocked negotiations

People on boats collect recyclable plastics from the heavily polluted Citarum River at Batujajar in Bandung, West Java. AFP

Negotiations to establish the first global plastics treaty faltered in Geneva on Friday, as delegates failed to reach consensus on critical treaty provisions to tackle pollution.

The final hours saw entrenched positions over key areas – specifically plastic production caps, which had been a key issue that boiled over from last year's failed talks in Korea.

"It's very clear that we did not arrive where we wanted to arrive," UN Environment Programme executive director Inger Andersen told the media on Friday. "People want a deal. Everyone has to understand that this work will not stop, because plastic pollution will not stop."

The Geneva talks were the most high-stakes round yet in a process launched in 2022 to forge a global treaty addressing the full life cycle of plastic.

A draft "chair's text" tabled earlier this week aimed to unify positions, but major producing countries reportedly resisted language that would mandate reductions in plastic output, favouring recycling initiatives instead.

However, Ms Andersen acknowledged that while delegates did not reach a final agreement, some progress was made in clarifying negotiating positions.

Activists stage a protest during a plenary session of Second Part of the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva. AP

Red lines drawn

"Red lines were clarified," she said. "Progress is made because people are demanding a treaty. Now there's a lot of hard work ahead."

Several countries expressed disappointment and frustration at the lack of agreement on a treaty.

A closing statement submitted by Barbados highlighted that more needed to be done to fully recognise the circumstances of Small Island Developing states (SIDS), which face unique sustainable development challenges.

"Unfortunately there was no consensus on the two texts you have placed on the table," the statement from Barbados read. "Both lacked critical elements of importance."

Meanwhile, representatives from Cuba argued that a treaty cannot be effective without establishing a "sufficient, stable, and predictable financing mechanism".

Policy Scenarios for Eliminating Plastic Pollution by 2040. OECD

"Developing countries need resources to effectively address plastic pollution," a statement from the Cuban delegation said.

Farah Al Hattab, Lead Plastics Campaigner and Greenpeace Mena’s delegate at the talks, told The National:“The governments’ collective inability to reach an agreement in Geneva must be a wakeup call for the world: delay comes at a cost for people and the planet."

For the region, Ms Hattab said "this outcome is not just disappointing; it is dangerous. From coral reefs in the Red Sea to coastlines, cities, and rural communities across our region, plastic pollution is accelerating, with devastating impacts on ecosystems and communities.”

What happens next?

For now, Ms Andersen said that while she "will not settle" until there is a pathway forward, "it is important that everyone takes time to reflect on what they have heard," with a session to reconvene expected at a later date.