UN Environment Assembly in 2022 adopted a resolution to create a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution, with a mandate to address the entire lifecycle of plastics (from design to disposal). Geneva talks (INC-5.2, Aug 2025) intended as the final round of negotiations to adopt the treaty.

• Talks failed as consensus could not be reached on key issues such as whether the treaty should impose caps on new plastic production or put its focus instead on waste management, reuse and improved design, among others.

Need for Global Plastic Treaty

• Plastic production: More than 460 million metric tons/year.
• Recycled: Only 9%
• Pollution: 20 million tons enter the environment annually.
• Future projections
  • By 2060, plastic waste is projected to triple.
  • Economic damage worth: $281 trillion (2016–2040).
• Environmental and Health impact
  • Plastics contribute to 4% of global GHG emissions.
  • Major driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.
  • Microplastics infiltrating oceans and food chains.

Conclusion

Plastic pollution has become a transboundary crisis akin to climate change, demanding a coordinated global response. An inclusive treaty can set global standards, unlock essential financing for circular solutions, and protect ecosystems, human health, and livelihoods.