The Road to a Global Plastic Treaty: A Glimpse into the INC-5 Negotiations Observed by CBCGDF Delegation

From November 25 to December 1, 2024, the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) convened in Busan, South Korea. The committee’s mission was to draft a legally binding international agreement to tackle the growing problem of plastic pollution, including its devastating effects on marine environments. This meeting brought together representatives from over 200 countries, along with scientists, environmentalists, and organizations like the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), which sent a delegation to participate as an observer, aiming to contribute to the global conversation on plastic pollution.

Initially, INC-5 was expected to conclude with the adoption of a landmark agreement, which would address plastic pollution at the global scale. However, after nearly two years of negotiations, delegates failed to reach consensus on a final treaty text, pushing the decision to 2025. While over 100 countries advocated for measures targeting plastic production at its source, a few oil-producing nations opposed any restrictions on production, insisting that the focus should remain on waste management rather than upstream production. This division of opinions left negotiators at an impasse, ultimately extending the talks to the next session.

On December 1, just hours before the scheduled conclusion of the talks, Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, chair of the INC-5, presented a revised draft that was hoped to serve as the foundation for a global plastic treaty. While this text included some progress, significant disagreements remained on issues such as production limits, the management of plastics and harmful chemicals, and funding for developing countries. These unresolved issues caused a delay, leading to the decision to reconvene in 2025 to continue negotiations.

Throughout the week of negotiations, representatives from petrochemical-dependent countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia, and India voiced strong opposition to production limitations, arguing against any actions that might curtail their economic interests. As the talks neared their conclusion, the coalition of oil-exporting countries remained firm in rejecting key proposals. In contrast, Panama’s representative pushed for a global reduction target for plastic production, a proposal that had garnered support from more than 100 countries. This divide over whether to set production restrictions was one of the primary obstacles in reaching an agreement.

Despite the setbacks, the INC-5 negotiations marked a significant milestone in the global effort to address plastic pollution. If successful, the treaty being discussed at these meetings could become one of the most influential environmental agreements since the 2015 Paris Agreement, particularly in terms of its potential to combat climate change by reducing plastic’s harmful impact on ecosystems worldwide. The next phase of talks in 2025 will be crucial in determining the scope and effectiveness of the treaty, as global leaders and advocates continue to push for solutions to what has become one of the world’s most pressing environmental crises.

The INC-5 sessions, which took place at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), demonstrated the complexities of international environmental negotiations. The involvement of diverse stakeholders from across the globe highlighted the urgency of the situation and the need for a collective response to plastic pollution. As the discussions extend into 2025, the world’s attention will remain on the outcome of these negotiations, with hopes that a legally binding global agreement will soon emerge to address the plastic crisis in a meaningful way.

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Please note this's a translation of the original post in Chinese, authored by Xiaowei Zhang, published by OceanWetlands on Dec 3rd， 2024: 

《谈判未能如期达成“条约”文本，延至2025年 | “塑料条约”政府间谈判委员会第五届会议》

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/s8m7PSWOxBFIdYafqjZ1BQ

Written by Xiaowei Zhang

Translator: Linda

Reviewer: Daisy

Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

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