Global talks to end scourge of plastic pollution collapses

International negotiations to secure a landmark treaty to curb plastic pollution have collapsed, with no deal reached after a final round of talks in Geneva ended in stalemate.

Delegates from 184 countries worked beyond Thursday’s deadline into Friday morning but failed to bridge deep divisions over whether the treaty should include binding limits on plastic production and controls on toxic chemicals used in manufacturing.

The sixth and final scheduled negotiating session, launched in 2022 with optimism, ended with frustration from many countries. France’s ecological transition minister, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, said she was “disappointed” and “angry” that “a handful of countries guided by short-term financial interests” had blocked an ambitious agreement. She said France, the EU and more than 100 nations “did everything possible” to cut production, ban dangerous products and protect human health.

UK marine minister Emma Hardy said she was “hugely disappointed” but “extremely proud” of the UK’s push for “an ambitious and effective treaty.” Colombia’s delegate, Sebastián Rodríguez, accused “a small number of states” of consistently blocking progress.

For Tuvalu, speaking for 14 Pacific small island states, the failure means “millions of tonnes of plastic waste will continue to be dumped in our oceans, affecting our ecosystem, food security, livelihood and culture.”

Chair of the talks, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, had presented two draft treaties, but both were rejected. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait argued that production limits were outside the treaty’s scope. The latest draft removed binding caps but acknowledged that current production and consumption levels were “unsustainable.”

China’s delegation called the setback a “new starting point” and urged joint action to offer “future generations a planet without plastic pollution.”

Some delegates questioned whether negotiations should continue with countries they saw as obstructionists. Dennis Clare of Micronesia said the deadlock echoed petrostate resistance during the Montreal Protocol talks on ozone-depleting chemicals. “We need to consider whether to proceed without their participation,” he said, noting China could still show leadership.

Environmental groups described the outcome as a blow to multilateralism. Christina Dixon of the Environmental Investigation Agency called for “a new dynamic, a new chair and empowerment for delegates to vote.” Melissa Sky of the Center for International Environmental Law warned that without changes, “it’s going to be really difficult to keep doing the same thing again and expect a different result.”

Valdivieso said the talks were adjourned, not ended, and that a date and location for resumption would be set.