Negotiations for the world's first legally binding treaty to curb plastic pollution ended in failure in Geneva on Friday, as deep divisions between nations left delegates without a path forward.
The 10-day talks, hosted at the United Nations headquarters and attended by representatives from more than 180 countries, were intended to finalize an agreement aimed at tackling the full lifecycle of plastics. Instead, the session closed with Ecuador's Luis Vayas Valdivieso, chair of the negotiations, pledging to resume discussions at an undetermined date.
French ecology minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher told the closing session she was "enraged because despite genuine efforts by many, and real progress in discussions, no tangible results have been obtained." Colombia's delegate Haendel Rodriguez blamed "a small number of states who simply did not want an agreement," in a clear reference to oil-producing countries.
Efforts led by the European Union and small island nations to include legally binding caps on virgin plastic production-most of it derived from petroleum, coal, and gas-met stiff opposition from petrochemical producers such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, as well as the U.S. under President Donald Trump. American delegate John Thompson declined to comment as he left the talks.
The most contentious issues included whether to limit production at the source, how to regulate plastics and chemicals of concern, and financing for developing countries to implement treaty commitments. Many nations and campaigners argued that without production caps, the crisis cannot be addressed. "No treaty is better than a bad treaty," said Ana Rocha, Global Plastics Policy Director at GAIA.
Plastic production has surged to roughly 460 million metric tons annually, with projections from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development suggesting output could rise 70% by 2040 without new policies. Recycling rates remain under 10% globally, with the rest incinerated, sent to landfills, or polluting rivers and oceans.
South Africa's delegate said "it is very clear that the current process will not work," describing the talks as broken. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the U.N. Environment Programme, acknowledged the disappointment but insisted "people want a deal."
Environmental groups expressed frustration at the breakdown, with Sarah Baulch of the Pew Charitable Trusts warning that "by missing yet another deadline to confront the escalating plastic pollution crisis, states are putting the health of people and the planet at risk." Greenpeace USA's Graham Forbes accused "a handful of bad actors" of driving ambition "into the ground."
The sixth round of talks followed a failed session in South Korea last year. The process, launched in 2022, was meant to conclude with a final agreement this year, but the outcome in Geneva leaves the future timeline uncertain.
