Plastic Pollution Treaty Talks End Without Agreement

International negotiations in Busan, South Korea, for a treaty to curb plastic pollution have ended without an agreement, with key issues causing deadlock. More than 100 countries, led by Panama, are advocating for limits on plastic production, while oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia focus on waste management. The talks, part of the fifth session of the U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, aimed to create a legally binding treaty but concluded without a final plenary session. Despite some progress, significant disagreements remain unresolved, prompting negotiators to plan future discussions to bridge these gaps. This treaty could become the most significant international environmental agreement since the 2015 Paris Agreement. The chair, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, acknowledged the need for more time to address unresolved issues effectively.