Advancing the Global Plastics Treaty: From Busan to Geneva

The INC-5 summit in Busan advanced the Global Plastics Treaty; Geneva 2025 aims to resolve key issues like production limits and funding.

Read also: SPE – A Key Observer in the Global Plastics Treaty.

Core Debate: Pollution Control vs Production Caps

A key flashpoint in Busan was whether the treaty should limit plastic production or focus solely on pollution management. Over 100 countries, including the EU and Latin American nations, backed production caps. In contrast, oil-producing nations such as Saudi Arabia and Russia vocally opposed limits, pushing for a pollution-only approach. As Saudi’s delegate noted, “If you address plastic pollution, there should be no problem with producing plastics, because the problem is the pollution, not the plastics themselves.”

Chair’s Text: Structure for Next Steps

INC‑5 concluded with a Chair’s Text that establishes:

• A 2040 plastic-pollution elimination goal

• A complete lifecycle approach, including production, design, and end-of-life

• Principles like “polluter pays,” scientific decision-making, equity, and support for vulnerable regions.

Continued Friction

Several contentious issues remain:

• Production Caps: The dispute highlighted global ambition versus fossil-fuel interests. Over 85 countries protested the impasse by signing a high-ambition declaration.

• Hazardous Chemicals: NGOs pushed for stricter additive controls to enhance recyclability and health safety.

• Funding & Tech Transfer: Developing nations stressed the need for funding and equitable technology sharing.

Voices From Busan

Nicholas Mallos of Ocean Conservancy warned, “With over a garbage truck’s worth of plastics entering the ocean each minute, every second counts”

Rob Opsomer of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation added, “Design is indeed critical to addressing plastic pollution…we have a vital opportunity to accelerate the adoption of solutions that can work at scale”

What Comes Next: INC‑5.2 in Geneva

INC‑5.2 will take place from August 5–14, 2025 in Geneva, preceded by regional consultations. Preparatory meetings in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and elsewhere are building momentum.

Observers like GAIA emphasize that treaty success requires centering Global South voices:

“At INC‑5.2, it is essential that countries listen to observers who have first-hand knowledge…”

Final Analysis

Busan established essential ground: a robust lifecycle framework, defined goals, and an ambitious Chair’s Text. Yet the core division—policies vs production limits—remains unresolved. As John Duncan of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty remarked, it’s “frustrating to watch the slow pace of multilateralism”.

Geneva holds the key: will negotiators close the divide and craft a treaty strong enough to match the scale of the crisis? The next round must reconcile economic interests and environmental urgency—because the world cannot wait.

Read the full document: The Compilation of the Draft Text of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution