Promise in pieces

Global Talks collapse as consensus rule blocks progress on ending plastic pollution

- SIDDHARTH GHANSHYAM SINGH

WHEN NEGOTIATORS gathered in Geneva this August for the resumed fifth session of talks on a global plastic treaty, expectations were high. This was supposed to be the final push to deliver a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution, a promise first made in 2022 under the United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/14. The deadline for completing the treaty had already expired in December 2024, and the world was waiting.

Instead, what unfolded was a sobering lesson in the limits of multilateralism. After 10 days of discussions, closed-door meetings, and late-night consultations, the process ended without any progress and became an exercise in holding on to the red lines. Delegates left Geneva with no clear path forward.

The session opened on August 5 with a sense of urgency and promises of working in cooperation. The Chair's plan was to divide the workload among four contact groups, each tasked with advancing key sections of the draft treaty. On paper, this was a practical way to speed up the process. In reality, it laid bare deep divisions.