New push to reach global pact on plastic pollution

Negotiators will take another stab at reaching a global pact on plastic pollution at talks opening on Aug 5 in Geneva, but they face deep divisions over how to tackle the health and ecological hazard.

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PARIS -

The coming 10 days of talks involving delegates from nearly 180 nations follow a failure to reach a deal in December 2024 on how to stop millions of tonnes of plastic waste entering the environment each year.

Plastic pollution is so ubiquitous that microplastics have been found on the highest mountain peak, in the deepest ocean trench and scattered throughout almost every part of the human body.

In 2022, countries agreed they would find a way to address the crisis by end-2024, but the talks in Busan, South Korea, failed to overcome fundamental differences.

One group of countries sought an ambitious globally binding agreement to limit production and phase out harmful chemicals.

However, a group of mostly oil-producing nations rejected production limits and wanted to focus on treating waste.

If nothing is done, global plastic consumption could triple by 2060, projections by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development show.