By Abdullahi Lukman
Efforts to finalize a landmark global treaty on plastic pollution collapsed on Wednesday as dozens of countries rejected the latest draft text, casting doubt on reaching an agreement with less than two days left in the talks at the United Nations in Geneva.
The draft, presented by talks chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso, faced sharp criticism from both ambitious countries and oil-producing states.
The former argued the text lacked legally binding measures and was too weak, reducing the treaty to a mere waste-management agreement.
Meanwhile, oil-producing nations claimed the draft overstepped their limits and failed to sufficiently narrow the treaty’s scope.
With 184 countries involved, this round of negotiations, which began on August 5, marks the sixth attempt over two and a half years to establish an international, legally binding instrument to combat plastic pollution.
Previous talks, including a final round in South Korea last year, also failed to produce a deal.
Countries such as Panama, the EU, Kenya, and Tuvalu denounced the draft for lacking ambition and failing to protect vulnerable communities and ecosystems.
Bangladesh described the proposal as “without ambition entirely” and criticized its failure to address the full plastic lifecycle and health risks.
On the other side, the Like-Minded Group—a coalition of mainly oil-producing states including Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Iran—called for the treaty to focus narrowly on waste management and insisted no treaty should be signed without consensus.
Environmental NGOs also condemned the draft. Greenpeace called it a “gift to the petrochemical industry,” while WWF labeled it a “devastating blow” to those affected by plastic pollution.
The Center for International Environmental Law warned the treaty “all but ensures that nothing will change,” dooming future generations.
Globally, over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, with nearly half ending up in landfills or as unmanaged waste, intensifying the urgency for a robust international response.
