Ambitious member states at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Plastics Treaty (INC-5.2) concluded without reaching an agreement, standing firm against pressure to accept a weak treaty that environmental advocates say would have fallen short of addressing the global plastic crisis.
In a statement, Ana Rocha, Global Plastics Policy Director at the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), emphasized the importance of rejecting bad deals. “No treaty is better than a bad treaty,” Rocha said. “We stand with the ambitious majority who refused to back down and accept a treaty that disrespects the countries that are truly committed to this process and betrays our communities and our planet.”
Negotiations faltered amid chaotic processes and a lack of transparency, with high-ambition countries from the Global South often sidelined. Critics have pointed to a small group of petro-states, calling themselves the “like-minded countries,” as having derailed the discussions by insisting upon consensus, effectively stalling ambitious proposals aimed at reducing plastic production, phasing out harmful chemicals, and ensuring a just transition for impacted communities.
Despite broad agreement on critical measures among the majority of nations—such as the establishment of a dedicated fund for transition and utilizing a two-thirds majority for decision-making—negotiations were repeatedly obstructed. “We cannot confuse procedural agreement with meaningful ambition,” said Eskedar Awgichew Ergete from Eco-Justice Ethiopia. “Consensus paralysis has prevented us from delivering the treaty the world urgently needs.”
Participants noted significant disruptions in the negotiation process, including unexpected schedule changes and late-night meetings that began at 2 a.m., ultimately culminating in a final plenary with just 40 minutes’ notice. Salisa Traipipitsiriwat of the Environmental Justice Foundation from Thailand lamented, “Two and a half years in, the rules of procedure are still not agreed upon, and the voting mechanism is still in brackets.”
The lack of progress has fueled a growing sense of urgency among civil society and Indigenous groups. “There was no conclusion for the treaty, but we are not backing down,” stated Thais Carvajal from Alianza Basura Cero Ecuador. “The process and its challenges have made us stronger. We have changed the narrative and will keep fighting plastic pollution.”
With over 100 countries expressing support for cuts to plastic production, advocates are hopeful for transformative change regardless of the formal treaty outcome. The movement against plastic pollution is gaining momentum, leveraging strong relationships between member states and environmental justice groups.
As discussions continue, the organizing efforts and public awareness around the plastic crisis have reached unprecedented levels, indicating a collective readiness to confront the plastic threat head-on.
