Reflecting the escalating dispute between the High Ambition Coalition and the bloc of fossil fuel–dependent countries, Geneva is witnessing a decisive round of negotiations on the “Plastic Pollution Treaty” (5–14 August 2025), aimed at formulating a legally binding international instrument to curb pollution by addressing the entire life cycle of plastics. The Guardian (13 August 2025) reported that this highlights the widening gap between the negotiating parties, as evidenced by:
- The High Ambition Coalition’s insistence on imposing strict production caps as part of a comprehensive approach to reducing pollution—an approach rejected by fossil fuel–producing countries (including the United States, China, and India), which prefer to focus on waste management.
- Concerns over the significant influence of industrial lobbying groups, with more than 200 representatives from petrochemical companies participating, raising fears that the treaty could be stripped of its substance.
- Global plastic production rising from 400 million tons in 2022 to 436 million tons in 2023—a nearly 9% increase (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD).
- The setbacks of previous climate negotiations, weakened by political and economic interests, particularly in light of weak U.S. policies and its retreat from fulfilling commitments to environmental treaties.
Amid the current political and economic crises, it is anticipated that the negotiations will fail to tackle the root causes of plastic pollution, limiting the treaty to a framework focused on recycling, while deferring agreements on clear production caps to the next round of negotiations.
