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.