Negotiations aimed at tacking plastic pollution have concluded without an agreement. Countries differed on how ambitious the treaty should be and whether to focus on cutting plastic production or waste management.
Countries could not agree whether an agreement should impose caps on new plastic or focus on recycling and reuseImage: Jana Rodenbusch/REUTERS
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Despite running over Thursday's deadline, representatives from 185 countries failed to reach a deal to bring the world closer to ending plastic pollution with a legally binding, global agreement..
"We will not have a treaty to end plastic pollution here in Geneva," Norway's negotiator said following talks in Geneva that went into the early hours of Friday.
"We have missed a historic opportunity but we have to keep going and act urgently. The planet and present and future generations need this treaty," said Cuba.
Global plastic crisis deepens as nations struggle to respond
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What issues divided countries at the plastic pollution talks?
Large oil and gas-producing nations and the plastics industry opposed limits on the production of plastic. Instead, they wanted a treaty that emphasized better waste management and reuse.
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"Our views were not reflected ... without an agreed scope, this process cannot remain on the right track and risks sliding down a slippery slope," said Kuwait.
China's delegation compared ending plastic pollution to a marathon and said Friday's collapsed talks represented a temporary setback and served as a new starting point to forge consensus.
The High Ambition Coalition, made up of European Union, Britain, Canada and many African and Latin American countries, wanted to the treaty to require a reduction in plastic production and the elimination of toxic chemicals used in plastics.
European Commissioner Jessika Roswall said the European Union and its member states had higher expectations for this meeting and while the draft falls short on their demands, it's a good basis for another negotiating session.
"The Earth is not ours only. We are stewards for those who come after us. Let us fulfill that duty," she said, adding that the EU would "continue to push for a stronger, binding agreement that safeguards public health and protects the environment.
What happens next?
For any proposal to make it currently into the treaty, every nation must agree.
India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Vietnam and others have said consensus is vital to an effective treaty. But other countries want to change the process so decisions may be made by a vote.
"We are going in circles. We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result," said Graham Forbes, head of the Greenpeace delegation in Geneva.
Palau, speaking for 39 small island developing states, expressed frustration at the effort put into talks and then "repeatedly returning home with insufficient progress to show our people."
Plastic pollution: No end in sight to growing problem
Children play among plastic waste, animals swallow it and rivers carry it to the sea — plastic is everywhere. Despite the problems, production is growing rapidly, and with it the dangers for people and the environment.
Image: Channi Anand/AP Photo/picture alliance
Picturesque landscape full of trash
Plastic, an amazingly versatile material, is indispensable in construction and packaging. But it's also a global scourge. In this photo, tons of waste, including plastic bottles, used tires and various non-organic materials, can be seen clogging the Drina River, forming a floating landfill near Visegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Image: Armin Durgut/AP Photo/picture alliance
Playing in the garbage
On this beach in the Philippines, children jump barefoot over plastic waste — left behind by typhoons. The garbage, once carelessly discarded, has traveled through rivers before ending up in the sea and finally washing up on the beach. But it's not just water swallowing this debris. Animals are also at risk.
Image: Aaron Favila/AP Photo/picture alliance
One plastic bag less
Nina Gomes fishes a discarded plastic bag out of the sea near the famous Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Every year, the country produces an estimated 11.3 million tons of plastic waste, of which only around 1.2% is recycled. Much of that plastic waste ends up in the oceans, endangering the marine environment.
Image: Bruna Prado/AP Photo/picture alliance
Temporary fix
In the South African township of Alexandra, a net forms a plastic barrier in the Jukskei River. These volunteers are working to carefully remove the accumulated waste from the net. But such measures alleviate the symptoms, not the causes. Waste remains a challenge — not only here, but worldwide.
Image: Jerome Delay/AP Photo/picture alliance
India tosses 3.5 million tons every year
Plastic waste covers the sand at Badhwar Park beach on the Arabian Sea coast in Mumbai, India. With a population of over 1.4 billion, India is one of the largest consumers of plastic in the world. According to estimates, the country produces around 3.5 million tons of plastic waste every year, of which only a small proportion is recycled.
Image: Rajanish Kakade/AP Photo/picture alliance
Built on garbage
In a shanty town in the Indian capital, New Delhi, where every inch of the landscape is littered with plastic waste, bags of garbage wait to be sorted by collectors hoping to sell them on.
Image: Manish Swarup/AP Photo/picture alliance
'Stop plastic pollution!'
On Earth Day 2024, these environmental activists in Seoul held up posters calling on the world to "stop plastic pollution!" Talks to negotiate a global treaty to curb plastic waste failed to reach a deal in South Korea in early December, with some oil-producing countries rejecting restrictions and targets for decreasing plastic production. The negotiations are due to resume next year.
Image: Jung Yeon-je/AFP
Chaos in Jakarta
In Indonesia, mountains of plastic waste pile up on the roadsides and obstruct traffic. With a population of over 11 million people in its capital alone, Indonesia produces around 6.8 million tons of plastic waste every year, a significant proportion of which is not disposed of properly. Around 620,000 tons of this ends up in the ocean.
Image: Dita Alangkara/AP Photo/picture alliance
Hope for action
A priest sits among the garbage left behind by worshippers during the Kuse Aunsi festival at the Gokarneshwor temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. One thing is clear: the plastic crisis requires bold political decisions and a global rethink. Without action, plastic will continue to pollute rivers and oceans, threatening life and preventing a sustainable future.
