Plastic Pollution Treaty Talks Failed to Reach Agreement

The Busan meet witnessed good progress, but at the same time exposed persisting divergence among countries on various critical areas.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The fifth U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting concluded in Busan, South Korea, failing to reach an agreement on a global plastic pollution treaty. The nations have agreed to start talks again, perhaps as early as next year. It should be mentioned that representatives from about 170 nations had convened for a week of talks.

More than 100 countries concurred that plastic manufacturing should be capped. However, the plan to reduce plastic output was strongly opposed by large petrochemical-producing countries like Saudi Arabia. The meeting was unable to announce what would have been a significant environmental protection treaty since the 2015 Paris Agreement because the discussions were unable to come to an agreement.

ALSO READ: Waste Pickers Battle for Recognition at Plastic Treaty Talks

Good progress was made at the Busan meeting, but it also revealed ongoing differences between nations on a number of important issues. The framework and components of the treaty text were more widely agreed upon by the negotiators.

Every day, an estimated 2,000 garbage trucks' worth of plastic are discarded into the world's rivers, lakes, and oceans. The goal of the treaty is to create a globally enforceable document that addresses the entire life cycle of plastic, including its manufacture, design, and disposal.

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