Geneva, Switzerland (Enmaeya News) — The head of ongoing United Nations negotiations to draft a global treaty combating plastic pollution warned Saturday that talks have yet to make sufficient progress amid disputes over the final text.
Ecuadorian diplomat Luis Vaca Valdivieso, speaking before representatives from 184 countries gathered in Geneva, said, “The progress made so far is not enough.”
He urged a renewed push ahead of the August 14 deadline, emphasizing that the date is “not just the end of our work but a day when results must be achieved.”
Delegates reconvened at the UN headquarters in Geneva seeking consensus on legally binding measures to address the growing plastic pollution crisis choking the environment.
This latest round follows the failure of what was expected to be the fifth and final session held in Busan, South Korea, in December, which ended without an agreement.
The draft text released before Saturday’s session expanded from 22 to 35 pages, with bracketed sections—indicating disputed language—increasing from 371 to nearly 1,500.
The text does not specify which countries or groups proposed the new amendments, suggesting some may have support from a majority or only a single nation.
Valdivieso noted some provisions remain unresolved, with little progress toward a common understanding. Delegates have had two and a half years to submit proposals, and he stressed there is no time left for further interventions.
A diplomatic source from the “High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution” told AFP that the talks “are going in circles with very limited options to reach an agreement or make progress.”
The negotiations involve representatives from 184 of the UN’s 193 member states. They began August 5 in Geneva with the goal of finalizing a legally binding treaty to curb plastic pollution.
A Greenpeace report highlighted opposition from fossil fuel industry lobbyists and some countries lacking political will, warning these forces pose significant obstacles to progress.
Several parties—including major oil-producing countries and industry lobby groups—oppose a binding treaty to limit plastic production, arguing instead for a focus on recycling.
Worldwide, more than 450 million tons of plastic are produced annually, half of which is single-use. Less than 10% is recycled, while roughly 8 million tons of plastic waste end up in oceans each year.
Plastic waste, including microplastics, contaminates soil and air, contributes to ocean warming and acidification, disrupts the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon, and damages biodiversity.
Additionally, plastic production and lifecycle emissions generate 1.8 billion tons of greenhouse gases annually—more than the combined emissions of the aviation and shipping industries.
