While we did not land the treaty text we hoped for, we at UNEP will continue the work against plastic pollution – pollution that is in our groundwater, in our soil, in our rivers, in our oceans and yes, in our bodies
After ten days of intense debate, international negotiations on a legally binding global treaty to address plastic pollution concluded in Geneva without reaching consensus. Delegates from 183 countries, joined by thousands of observers, confronted deep divisions over key issues such as production caps, chemical regulation, design, finance, and compliance .
Despite the failure to adopt a treaty text, the United Nations Environment Programme confirmed that “all countries clearly want to remain at the table.” Executive Director Inger Andersen added: “While we did not land the treaty text we hoped for, we at UNEP will continue the work against plastic pollution – pollution that is in our groundwater, in our soil, in our rivers, in our oceans and yes, in our bodies” .
The negotiating committee chair had offered two draft text proposals, but delegates failed to agree on a basis for further talks . A date for resumption remains unspecified, though tensions over balancing ambitious environmental targets with production-oriented interests signal more difficult negotiations ahead.