United Nations negotiations for the world’s first legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution ended in failure early Friday after 10 days of contentious talks in Geneva. Delegates from 183 countries adjourned without agreement, despite working through the night to bridge divides over production limits, chemical regulations, and financing. The collapse marks the second failed attempt since talks stalled in Busan, South Korea, last December.
The talks foundered on a fundamental rift: Over 100 nations, including the EU, Pacific island states, and Colombia, demanded legally binding caps on virgin plastic production, which is projected to triple by 2060 without intervention. They faced fierce opposition from oil-producing powers like Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Iran, who insisted the treaty focus solely on waste management and recycling. The U.S. under the Trump administration notably reversed its earlier stance, joining petrostates in opposing any mention of "full lifecycle" plastics regulation.
Ecuadorian chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso presented two draft texts attempting to balance these positions. Both were rejected as "repulsive" and "unbalanced" after petrostates stripped references to production limits, toxic chemicals (linked to cancer and infertility), climate impacts, and financing for developing nations. France’s ecology minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher condemned the outcome as enraging, blaming "a handful of countries guided by short-term financial interests". Colombia’s delegate similarly accused "a small number of states" of intentionally blocking consensus.
The consensus-based negotiation structure allowed the "like-minded" petrostate bloc to veto ambitious measures repeatedly. Critics highlighted acute procedural failures: closed-door meetings, an opaque drafting process, and disproportionate industry influence. At least 234 fossil fuel lobbyists attended, outnumbering the entire EU delegation and scientists three-to-one. South Africa declared the process "clearly broken," while Denmark lamented the tragedy of nations "blocking an agreement the planet desperately needs".
With global recycling rates stagnant below 10%, delegates stressed unchecked plastic production’s dire consequences. Microplastics infiltrate human organs, with toxic chemicals like BPA linked to 5.4 million heart disease cases annually. Plastic production emits 2+ gigatons of CO₂ yearly, equivalent to the world’s fifth-largest emitter. 90% of plastic waste inundates Global South landfills and oceans. UN Environment Programme director Inger Andersen vowed talks would resume, but no date was set. While environmental groups like GAIA endorsed rejecting a "bad treaty," island nations like Palau warned: "Our people are drowning in plastic while diplomacy drowns in delay".