The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5) in Busan, concluded with frustration and a mounting sense of urgency. From November 25 to December 1 over 3,800 participants representing 177 nations and more than 600 observer organizations agreed to finalize a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. Yet, the pivotal talks fell short as ideological divides and procedural roadblocks derailed progress and pushed further negotiations to 2025. The EU must leverage its role in the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) to push for binding commitments to break the current stalemate.
“This is a historic moment to end the world's plastic pollution crisis and protect our environment, our health, and our future,” declared Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, at the opening of INC-5. Andersen's remarks drove home the urgency surrounding the session, which was meant to conclude negotiations that began in 2022.
Despite four previous rounds of negotiations, the week in Busan was marred by disagreements about the treaty's scope, financial mechanisms, and level of ambition. The INC Chair, Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, formulated the Non-Paper 3, which served as the foundational baseline for negotiations throughout the week, but was criticised by progressive delegations, including HAC, as lacking enforceable measures and binding commitments.
The HAC, supported by nations such as the US and Rwanda, and spearheaded by the EU, called for comprehensive measures addressing the entire life cycle of plastics, including production caps, chemical bans, and introducing producer responsibility for plastic waste. However, low-ambition states, often with ties to petroleum production and other industries sure to be impacted by a strong treaty, resisted binding measures.
In a rare show of unity, over 90 nations, led by Rwanda and Mexico, stood firm in not accepting a treaty without binding global bans and ambitious measures. While this pressure resulted in the Chair's revised treaty text, the document remained weak and voluntary, lacking global bans on harmful chemicals, enforceable design standards, and clear financial provisions.
The INC-5 session concluded with plans to reconvene in 2025. For ambitious actors like the EU, the focus now shifts to maintaining momentum by further leveraging its leadership in the HAC. It should rally support for binding measures and strengthen diplomatic outreach to counter resistance from low-ambition states. Achieving a single, unified voice within the EU itself will be crucial in bolstering its credibility on the global stage. Domestically, the EU should further align its internal policies with global goals, ensuring coherence in its circular economy initiatives to maintain its standing in these critical negotiations.
As talks drag on, the absence of a robust treaty threatens to undermine faith in multilateralism. The fight to end plastic pollution requires not only ambition but also decisive leadership. The EU must seize the opportunity to drive meaningful action at INC-5.2, ensuring the final treaty includes binding global commitments. Without these, the international effort to curb one of humanity's most pervasive environmental challenges, plastic pollution, risks further stagnation.
Ana Berdzenishvili is a Junior Policy Analyst in the Sustainable Prosperity for Europe Programme at the EPC.
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