UN Plastic Pollution Treaty Talks End Without Agreement

The UN Environment Chief, Inger Andersen, expressed optimism despite inconclusive negotiations for a global plastic pollution treaty in Busan, South Korea, where nearly 200 countries met. Although the talks ended without a finalized agreement, Andersen highlighted progress in streamlining a lengthy draft from 77 pages to a more concise version. Key disputes arose over proposals to limit plastic production and phase out harmful single-use plastics, with significant resistance from oil-producing nations such as Saudi Arabia and Russia. These divisions resulted in a draft treaty filled with contradictions and unresolved issues, leading environmentalists to caution against extending negotiations without new strategies. Andersen maintains that the treaty's timeline, set since 2022, remains ambitious and critical in addressing the global plastic waste crisis, with over 90% of plastics unrecycled each year. No date has yet been set for the next round of talks, but Andersen emphasized the urgency of finalizing the treaty soon.