Fifth global conference fails to reach deal on curbing plastic pollution

The failure of this fifth session of the INC, or INC-5, to deliver on its mandate highlights the persistent challenges of reaching a consensus to solve the growing issue of global plastics pollution.The INC was part of an ambitious United Nations (UN) initiative that commenced in March 2022 to develop a legally binding global instrument aimed at addressing plastic pollution. The effort brought together over 3,300 delegates from at least 170 nations, including government, industry, environmental groups, trade associations, and international bodies. With INC-5 falling short at the finish line, another meeting to conclude negotiations of a comprehensive and impactful global treaty on plastic pollution will be scheduled in 2025.

Key proposals that remain controversial include production caps and calls to phase out certain chemicals and product types. Significant divergences remain, particularly between oil and plastic-producing nations like Saudi Arabia, which seek to focus on enhanced waste management approaches favored by the plastics industry, and “high-ambition” countries advocating for limits on plastic production. Those high-ambition countries, known collectively as the High Ambition Coalition (HAC), is a diverse group of countries that include much of Europe, the UAE, many small island states, and others.The US initially took a more conservative approach to international measures for curbing plastics pollution. However, in summer 2024, the Biden administration unexpectedly threw its weight behind the HAC position, to the frustration of many US manufacturers. But with the recent election casting doubt on even the continued participation by the US, let alone its newfound willingness to clamp down on production, prospects for the HAC approach remain uncertain.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) and others in industry advocated waste management improvements rather than supply limits or chemical restrictions that could duplicate or conflict with measures adopted in other UN agreements. The ACC has sought an agreement that emphasizes circularity, including recycling targets and guidance for improved packaging design to facilitate reuse and recycling.By contrast, environmental groups like the World Wildlife Fund and the Ocean Conservancy continue to advocate global bans and phase-outs for certain plastics and chemicals, robust financing from developed to developing countries, and mechanisms for strengthening the treaty over time.

“WWF calls on countries to unite on the necessary binding upstream measures to end plastic pollution, develop the lists of products and chemicals to be banned, and to conclude the negotiation process as soon as possible. Essential measures of a future agreement must include global bans and phase-outs of harmful plastics and chemicals, global product design, a robust finance mechanism, and means for strengthening the treaty over time.”

Given the impasse in Busan, Ecuador’s Ambassador Luis VayasValdivieso, who chaired the INC, urged delegations to continue engaging, emphasizing that achieving the ambitious mandate will take time and noting the significant steps already undertaken in the negotiations. The work derived from negotiations in Busan will be the starting point for the next round at the second meeting of INC-5 (INC-5.2) in 2025. The breakdown of these discussions also illustrates the striking differences among stakeholders in government, business, and environmental organizations, each with their own perspectives on how best to combat plastic pollution.