The fifth session of negotiations on a legally binding global plastic pollution treaty has concluded, with countries agreeing to reconvene in 2025. Held from November 25 to December 3 in Busan, South Korea, the session attracted delegates from over 170 countries and representatives from 440 observer organizations. This recent gathering of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) builds on previous talks in Punta del Este, Paris, Nairobi, and Ottawa, as detailed by UNEP.
Despite not reaching a final agreement, negotiators made substantial progress by drafting a text to guide future discussions, as noted in the draft text. Talks are set to continue with the aim of finalizing a global treaty to address plastic pollution. At the close of the Busan session, Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), underscored global efforts to tackle plastic pollution, as reported by the United Nations. The process, initiated by Resolution 5/14 adopted in March 2022, called for the treaty to encompass a comprehensive approach to the lifecycle of plastic, including its production, design, and disposal.
The European Union has called on nations obstructing the deal to show greater ambition, highlighting the urgent need for a unified global response. Presently, more than half of global plastic waste ends up in landfills, with less than one-fifth being recycled. According to the OECD, by 2060, nearly two-thirds of plastic waste will consist of short-lived items, exacerbating the environmental crisis. The ongoing crisis is urgent, with 2,000 garbage trucks worth of plastic waste entering aquatic systems every day, severely impacting biodiversity and marine habitats, according to UNEP.