Plastics : UN plastic treaty talks collapse

Another failed attempt:

• After three years of negotiations, countries have failed to agree on the world's first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. 
• The latest round of talks in Geneva ended in deadlock, marking a significant setback for international cooperation on environmental issues. 
• The failure was largely attributed to resistance from the United States and several oil-producing nations.

Who blocked the agreement:

• While the majority of the 170+ countries attending were ready to compromise, the US refused to agree to anything beyond voluntary measures. 
• This aligned them with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other oil-producing states who have consistently opposed any rules addressing plastic production itself.
• They only wanted to discuss waste management. 
• About 100 countries wanted to limit plastic production and tackle the toxic chemicals used in making plastics, but couldn't get agreement.

Funding is the problem:

• Another major sticking point was how to pay for clean-up measures. 
• Traditional donor countries are less able to commit funding. 
• Getting any treaty through the American House and Senate is extremely difficult, but at least they stayed at the negotiating table.

The scale of the crisis:

• Every year, more than 460 million tonnes of new plastic are produced globally. 
• About 20 million tonnes end up in the environment. 
• Despite this urgent crisis, negotiators couldn't bridge the gap between countries wanting to maintain current plastic production levels and the majority seeking meaningful change.

What happens next:

• It remains unclear when or where negotiations will resume. 
• This was the sixth round of talks and was expected to be the final one. 
• While some progress was noted, particularly increased engagement from China, one of the world's biggest plastic producers.
• The fundamental disagreements remain unresolved.