Global Plastic Treaty: Talks begin to finalise deal for curbing plastic pollution

The Global Plastics Treaty talks have kicked off with nations gathering in Busan, South Korea, for a week of discussions.

The aim is to produce a legally binding treaty that will address the world’s plastic pollution problem by tackling the material throughout its full lifecycle.  

National delegations still have a lot to hammer out before there is a final deal. Most contentious is whether there will be a limit on the amount of plastic that companies are allowed to produce.

Global plastic production has increased over 200-fold to almost 460 million tonnes annually since 1950, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 

Here’s what to expect from the fifth and final meeting of the UN’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution.

Why do we need a Global Plastics Treaty?

In 2022, the INC set in motion the drafting process for a Global Plastics Treaty. 

Plastic production has soared in recent decades, but recycling has struggled to keep pace. As of 2015, only nine per cent of all plastic waste ever produced had been recycled.

This has resulted in around 19 million tonnes of plastic filtering into the natural environment each year, which is harmful and even fatal for wildlife. 

Plastic production is projected to double or even triple by 2040, a growth that would use up roughly a quarter of the remaining carbon budget for the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C.

What will be discussed at the Global Plastic Treaty talks?

During the previous four meetings, the INC discussed the details of what would be included in the treaty. 

Measures under consideration were phasing out plastic production, improving waste management, design requirements for plastic products and funding the global transition away from plastic. 

However, the meetings have been plagued by disagreements, resulting in an increasingly lengthy draft treaty. 

Key areas of discussion include which harmful chemicals should be banned from plastic products and how nations will finance the measures decided upon in a final treaty. 

There is also major discord over whether the deal should include a reduction in the volume of global plastic production. 

There are some areas of consensus, too, including the need for improved waste management, recycling and reusable plastics. 

The INC is hoping that a final deal will be negotiated during the talks, but if an agreement cannot be reached there will likely be another meeting in 2025.

Who are the key nations at the Global Plastic Treaty talks?

The main attendees who are opposed to cutting down plastic production are those with significant fossil fuel industries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran. 

They are pushing waste management as the key solution to plastic pollution instead.

However, 40 countries and regions including the EU, Switzerland and Fiji have signed a declaration called the Bridge to Busan, which advocates for “sustainable levels of production”.

The US, which is responsible for 17 per cent of global plastic production, has not signed the Bridge to Busan but also agrees on the need for reduced production.

'A non-toxic sustainable future for all children'

Environmental groups and Indigenous leaders want a holistic approach to curbing plastic pollution.

Graham Forbes, who is leading a Greenpeace delegation in Busan, said his group could support an agreement that puts sensible guardrails in place to reduce the amount of plastic produced, eliminates toxic chemicals and protects people from the uncontrolled use of plastics.

Frankie Orona, executive director of the Texas-based Society of Native Nations, said they demand a treaty that tackles the root causes of the crisis rather than just managing plastic waste.

“We must seize this moment and leave a legacy we can be proud of, with a non-toxic sustainable future for all children and our children's children," he said.