Gathering in Geneva for the final round of talks: 184 nations convene for the UN Plastic Treaty negotiation day - International Gathering in Geneva: 184 Nations Convene for the Final Day of Discussions Regarding the UN Plastics Accord
The UN negotiations for a global Plastics Treaty (INC-5.2) held in Geneva from August 5 to 14, 2025, have concluded without reaching a final agreement on a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution.
The talks, which marked the final round following the failed talks in Busan, South Korea last December, saw the participation of ministers from various countries, including France's Minister for the Environment, Agnès Pannier-Runacher.
However, the EU, Panama, Chile, and Mexico found the draft unacceptable due to the lack of binding requirements. They criticized it as too weak and insufficiently ambitious to effectively tackle the plastic pollution crisis.
Environmental organizations, such as the WWF and Greenpeace, have warned about the consequences of a failed compromise in the negotiations. They emphasized that the consequences for people and nature worldwide would be enormous in case of a failed compromise.
In response, Agnès Pannier-Runacher proposed a new draft text aimed at strengthening the agreement. Details of this specific text remain limited, but it reflects efforts by France to push toward a more robust treaty framework.
The current draft treaty text contains 32 articles spanning 22 pages, designed to govern the full life cycle of plastics with an emphasis on circular economy principles to prevent environmental leakage.
Despite the failure to finalize, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged the political and economic challenges but affirmed the resolve to keep negotiations ongoing to deliver a transformative global agreement.
Graham Forbes, head of the delegation of Greenpeace in Geneva, called on the attending ministers to "uphold the ambitions they have promised." He urged them to take bold steps to address the plastic pollution crisis.
Oil-producing countries saw many of their red lines crossed in the draft, leading to its rejection by all sides. However, the negotiation is not over yet. The parties have expressed a strong commitment to continue negotiations in the future to achieve a binding plastics treaty.
The plastic pollution crisis remains a significant global concern. Annually, over 400 million tons of plastic are produced, with half of it intended for single-use products. Less than ten percent of plastic waste is recycled, and plastic waste causes massive environmental pollution worldwide, with microplastics also found in the human body.
As the negotiation enters its final day, all eyes are on the parties to see if they can reach a consensus and take a significant step towards ending plastic pollution.
- Agnès Pannier-Runacher, France's Minister for the Environment, proposed a new draft text aimed at strengthening the global Plastics Treaty, seeking a more robust treaty framework to effectively tackle the plastic pollution crisis.
- Environmental organizations, such as WWF and Greenpeace, urged the attending ministers to "uphold the ambitions they have promised" and take bold steps in cooperation with other nations, emphasizing that a binding plastics treaty is crucial in the science and environmental-science field to prevent the enormous consequences for people and nature from the plastic pollution crisis.
