International Plastic Pollution Treaty Negotiations Fail to Reach Consensus

After 10 days of intense negotiations, the second session of the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2), aimed at developing a legally binding international treaty on plastic pollution, ultimately failed to reach consensus. According to a statement from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on August 15, parties were unable to agree on the treaty text, and negotiations were prematurely suspended on that day.

Despite clear divisions among UN member states, industry associations including the World Plastics Council (WPC) and PlasticsEurope called for continued efforts toward reaching a final agreement and establishing global consensus on ending plastic pollution.

In her closing remarks, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen stated: "Clearly, differences remain among parties on core issues such as plastic production, product management, financial mechanisms, and voting procedures. The world needs more time to achieve comprehensive agreement on these critical matters." She noted, "Against the backdrop of complex geopolitics, economic challenges, and strained multilateral relations, the past 10 days of negotiations have been exceptionally difficult. But one thing is clear: despite significant obstacles, all countries clearly wish to remain at the negotiating table." She added, "While we did not finalize the ideal treaty text, UNEP will continue advancing work to combat plastic pollution."

The UNEP statement said the negotiating committee had agreed to resume talks at a future date and emphasized that the session adjourned "against the backdrop of clear expressions by member states of their willingness to continue the process, while acknowledging substantial differences in views among countries." Ambassador Luis Valdizano Vayá, chair of the INC, said the failure to reach an agreement "should not be discouraging; rather, it should motivate us to renew our momentum, reaffirm our commitments, and consolidate our vision." He expressed confidence that an agreement would eventually be reached, though he did not specify a timeline.

Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC Secretariat, said participants left the meeting "aware of future challenges and reinvigorated in their shared determination to address plastic pollution. Advancing this process is now our responsibility."

The Geneva meeting drew over 2,600 participants, including more than 1,400 government delegates from 183 countries and nearly 1,000 observers representing over 400 organizations. The goal of INC-5.2 was to finalize the treaty text and clarify outstanding issues requiring further preparation before a diplomatic conference.

In a statement issued after the conclusion of negotiations on August 15, the World Plastics Council (WPC) called for "pragmatic collaboration" to facilitate the treaty. WPC Chair Benny Mermans, Vice President of Sustainability at Chevron Phillips Chemical, said: "We regret that UN member states were unable to reach an agreement in Geneva, but we remain optimistic about the eventual signing of a final agreement." Mermans emphasized that parties must recognize different countries and regions face distinct challenges and perspectives, and differences in goals should not hinder practical progress.

He urged negotiators to focus on building waste management capacity and circular models while avoiding contentious issues. He noted that the global plastics industry supports the circular economy as the fastest and most cost-effective pathway to achieving sustainable plastic systems and ending plastic pollution, while preserving the benefits plastics provide to society.

PlasticsEurope called on UN member states to quickly restart multilateral efforts and build global consensus and a supporting policy framework through follow-up negotiations. The association's Managing Director, Virginia Janssens, expressed disappointment over the lack of agreement in Geneva but welcomed the political will to continue negotiations and the decision to build global consensus and a policy framework. The association supports incorporating into the final agreement reporting mechanisms that promote sustainable production and consumption, effective waste management, and a just transition toward a circular economy. Janssens said: "We want waste plastics to become circular feedstock, not discarded, landfilled, or incinerated waste." The draft treaty released earlier this week did not include provisions on caps on plastic production or restrictions on additives—two of the most controversial topics during the Geneva talks.

During the negotiations, China actively participated in discussions on all agenda items, proactively proposed bridging solutions on key issues, exerted influence and leadership, and worked diligently to bridge differences, receiving positive evaluations from all sides. Chinese representatives attended ministerial roundtables, sharing China’s experiences and practices in reducing plastic use at source, collecting, transporting, and treating waste plastics, recycling and utilization, and cleaning up aquatic plastic debris. They emphasized that plastic pollution is a complex and urgent global environmental challenge, calling on all parties to uphold multilateralism and, with mutual respect, solidarity, cooperation, and a rational, pragmatic attitude, strive to explore feasible and incremental pathways for advancing global governance of plastic pollution.