Delegates from more than 170 nations are gathered in Busan this week to hammer out the details of what could become the world’s first treaty paving the path to end plastic pollution.
The talks in South Korea, starting just days after the UN’s climate summit in Azerbaijan, have the enormous task of addressing the scourge of plastic pollution that is suffocating ecosystems, infiltrating food chains, and posing serious risks to human health.
The fifth and final session of the talks that kickstarted on Monday, called the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5), aims to finalise a draft text for a legally binding plastics treaty.
The proposed agreement could address plastics from production to disposal – an ambitious goal that has exposed deep divides among nations.
“This really is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Graham Forbes, Global Plastics Project Leader at Greenpeace USA, told The Independent in Busan. “If we fail here, it sends a signal to financial markets to continue investing in petrochemicals and plastic production with no liability.
“Success means setting limits, creating bans, and holding producers accountable.”
If current trends continue, plastic production is expected to triple by 2060, with devastating consequences for the planet and its people.
Plastic pollution is no longer just an environmental issue. It is a health crisis and a significant driver of the climate crisis. Microplastics, invisible to the naked eye, have been found in human organs, breast milk, and the air we breathe. Scientists link the chemicals in plastics, such as BPA, to cancer, reproductive harm, and other illnesses.
“There’s over 16,000 chemicals in plastics, and many of those are known hazardous chemicals, and the vast majority are unregulated in current multilateral environmental agreements,” professor Trisia Farrelly, senior research scientist at Cawthron Institute and coordinator of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, said.
At the same time, the connection between plastics and the climate crisis is becoming harder to ignore. More than 98 per cent of plastics are derived from fossil fuels, and the production process emits significant greenhouse gases.
“Plastics are blowing out the carbon budget,” Bjorn Beeler, executive director of the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), told The Independent.
“If we continue at this speed, we will not reach where we need to go. The clock does not stop, and it is time to expedite the process,” Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said.
“We entered this with a combination text of 77 pages, and we are now talking about article numbers and headings. Is it simple? No. Are there differences in views? Of course. But we are a lot further than when we started.
“The frustration in the room is powerful. It’s very simple: we have to deliver this treaty by Sunday,” Mr Andersen said.
The treaty is seen as a critical step in addressing these overlapping crises. Without intervention, a 2024 report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development projects that global plastic production will soar from 435 million tonnes in 2020 to 736 million tonnes by 2040, with recycling unable to keep pace.
At the heart of the negotiations is a fundamental question: Should the treaty tackle the full life cycle of plastics or focus on managing waste?
Countries in the High Ambition Coalition, including many African, Asian, and European nations, are pushing for strong production caps, bans on toxic chemicals, and commitments to phase out single-use plastics. They argue that addressing the root causes of plastic pollution is the only way to stem its rapid growth.
On the other side are nations with significant fossil fuel and petrochemical industries, such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the United States. These countries favour an approach centred on recycling and waste management, avoiding any measures that might restrict plastic production.
“It’s absurd to let the people responsible for causing the problem dictate the solutions,” Mr Forbes said. “We need mandatory, legally binding global targets to reduce plastic production. Voluntary measures have proven to be completely inadequate.”
The stakes are particularly high for the fossil fuel industry. As demand for oil and gas declines in the energy sector, plastics and other petrochemicals have become a crucial market for oil producers. Without production caps, the industry is poised to expand plastic manufacturing further, exacerbating pollution and emissions.
Plastic’s impact extends far beyond littered beaches and clogged rivers. “We’re recycling toxic chemicals again and again,” Mr Beeler explained. “Exposure increases with each cycle, and the health impacts – cancer, infertility, developmental disorders – are only going to escalate.”
For small island states and developing nations, the burden of plastic pollution is an equity issue. Micronesia’s legal adviser, Dennis Clare, pointed out that these nations contribute little to global plastic waste but bear its worst impacts, from polluted coastlines to economic damage in fisheries and tourism.
“If the countries with the most wealth and resources take a pass, it’s an inequitable burden shift,” Mr Clare said.
As negotiators debate behind closed doors, civil society groups are making their voices heard in Busan. Greenpeace activists unfurled a massive banner featuring an eye composed of thousands of portraits, symbolising the global public’s watchful gaze.
“This is a make-or-break moment,” said Hellen Kahaso Dena, Pan-African Plastics project lead at Greenpeace Africa. “Will our leaders rise to the occasion or dance to the tune of fossil fuel lobbyists?”
A petition launched by Greenpeace demanding strong production caps has amassed nearly three million signatures, reflecting widespread public demand for decisive action. But frustration is growing over the slow pace of negotiations and the influence of industry interests.
“This treaty isn’t just about plastic,” Mr Forbes said. “It’s about creating accountability for industries and governments that have contributed to this crisis. The world is watching.”
Negotiations have been fraught with delays and political roadblocks. Midway through the talks, there is still no consensus on the text of the treaty, and delegates are scrambling to bridge the divide between opposing camps.
“The meeting is being held hostage by oil states that refuse to move forward,” Mr Beeler said. “We’re halfway through, and there’s still no draft text. At this rate, it’s impossible to deliver a meaningful agreement by the end of the week.”
Even within the High Ambition Coalition, questions remain about the strength of Europe’s commitment to production caps. “If they sleepwalk through this, they’ll take everyone else off the cliff with them,” Mr Beeler warned.
“It’s not just about cleaner oceans,” Mr Beeler said. “It’s about whether we can survive the toxic tide of plastic that’s already overwhelming us. The time for action is now.”
