The 185 representatives of countries gathered in Geneva on Thursday evening were unable to agree on a binding resolution to combat plastic pollution.
International negotiations on a legally binding treaty to combat plastic pollution are on the verge of collapse. The draft document presented in Geneva does not contain restrictions on plastic production and control over additives, which was the main stumbling block in the discussions.
More than 100 countries, including the EU, the UK, Australia, Canada and Mexico, are in favour of introducing strict restrictions on plastic production. These countries, supported by environmental organisations, are also calling for restrictions on the use of additives in plastics.
They are opposed by countries with large petrochemical and plastics industries, such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United States. They reject the idea of restrictions and propose focusing on the principles of a circular economy and waste recycling. The global plastics industry takes the same approach.
The draft agreement was presented by the chair of the Intergovernmental Committee, Luis Vayas Valdivieso. It was expected that Article 6 of the document would contain provisions on restricting plastic production, but the final text only refers to preventing plastic emissions and leaks into the environment. Countries supporting production restrictions have strongly criticised the draft, calling it insufficiently ambitious and unfair.
