On November 25, 2024, delegates from 175 countries convened in Busan, South Korea, for the fifth round of negotiations aimed at establishing an international treaty to combat plastic pollution. The meeting, hosted by South Korea, follows an inconclusive round of discussions in Ottawa earlier this year.
Despite previous efforts, significant divisions remain, particularly regarding the capping of plastic production. Countries such as Saudi Arabia and China have opposed measures that would target plastic production directly, leading to a focus on addressing chemicals of concern instead.
The United States, which previously indicated support for production caps, has seen its position questioned following the election of Donald Trump, who has historically favored domestic oil and petrochemical production over multilateral agreements.
Inger Andersen, executive director of the U.N. Environment Programme, expressed optimism about reaching an agreement, citing a recent Group of 20 communique that called for a legally binding treaty by year-end.
Fiji's climate minister, Sivendra Michael, emphasized the importance of a global plastics treaty for protecting the fragile ecosystems of Pacific island nations, which suffer from plastic pollution despite not producing any plastic themselves.
While the petrochemical industry supports a treaty, it has urged governments to prioritize waste reduction solutions over mandatory production caps. Industry representatives argue that such caps would lead to increased consumer prices.
At the recent COP29 climate conference, proposals were made to establish global levies on certain sectors to fund support for developing nations in their clean energy transitions and to address climate change impacts. These proposals, including a fee on primary polymer production, could potentially raise billions annually, though they have faced opposition from industry groups.