Down but not out: the Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations
- Date: 03 December 2024
- Author: Erin Simon, Vice President + Head, Plastic Waste and Business
It was meant to be the breakthrough moment in the global fight against plastic pollution. After two years of negotiation and countless hours of work from hundreds of people around the world, the UN process to adopt a global treaty against plastic pollution would finally conclude last week. But after a roller coaster of a week, we left disappointed.
Erin Simon with Panama delegate Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez
A week ago, I arrived in Busan, Republic of Korea for the fifth and “final” round of treaty talks with hope in my heart and cautious optimism. WWF, along with other civil society organizations, delivered a petition signed by almost three million people calling for negotiators to finalize an ambitious and legally binding treaty that would put an end to the plastic pollution crisis that has been plaguing our planet.
Day one gave us an early win when 151 out of 186 countries joined together to move forward with a streamlined version of the treaty text for starting negotiations. Clearing the first major hurdle of the process, the atmosphere in Busan was electric—we were on our way to a meaningful treaty by the end of the week.
Unfortunately, that optimism was short lived. Similar to past INCs, a small but vocal group of countries continued to obstruct progress, insisting on a voluntary treaty instead of one with legally binding requirements. Whether or not the treaty is legally binding is critical to progress—it’s the difference between countries pledging to try or being required to act.
By mid-week, we faced two options: let a weak treaty become reality or mobilize an effort to push forward and if necessary, leave the laggard countries behind. We chose the latter. Countries and civil society organizations alike joined together to vocalize that delivering a treaty that will meet the scale of this crisis is one detail that’s not up for debate.
After the release of a disappointing text draft on Saturday morning, and with less than two days left to negotiate, most countries amped up their momentum. Packed press conferences called for negotiators to hold the line and demand binding measures to eliminate products and chemicals of concern and set a target to reduce production.
Unfortunately, by the final morning of negotiations, the contagious momentum was again stymied by obstruction tactics from a small continent of countries determined to strip the treaty of its teeth.
By midday, an updated draft of the treaty text was presented. While it didn’t have all the ingredients to get us to the finish line, it included some of the elements needed to continue to drive the process forward. The draft featured binding measures around design requirements for products, and the beginning of a list of chemicals and products of concern to be phased out.
But no treaty would be adopted at this session. In 2025 we will try again, and countries will come together once more for INC-5.2.
I can’t say I’m not disappointed. But it’s also not the end. During negotiations, which happened to coincide with US Thanksgiving, I thought about my family—particularly my daughter. Her generation and the generations after her make this a battle worth fighting, no matter the setbacks. A future overrun with plastic pollution is not an outcome I’m willing to accept.
I’m thankful negotiators did not give into the pressure of the vocal minority and settle for a weak treaty. I’m thankful there is willingness to try again. I’m thankful for the vast majority of people around the world who recognize this is a problem and are willing to do their part to solve it.
Nothing worth having is easy. So let’s take a breath, regroup, and get back to work.