4 Days Left to Finalize Global Plastic Pollution Treaty What You Need to Know

Post by : Priya

  Photo:AP

For decades, plastic has been an essential part of our daily lives. From packaging to products, plastic has brought convenience and innovation. Yet, this convenience comes at a heavy cost. Plastic pollution is now one of the greatest threats to our planet’s ecosystems, human health, and economies. The world has been trying to come together to solve this crisis, and after years of discussions, we are at a pivotal moment: only days remain to finalize a global treaty that could change how the world handles plastic forever.

What Is the Global Plastic Pollution Treaty?

The Global Plastic Pollution Treaty is an international agreement being negotiated under the United Nations. The goal is to create a strong, legally binding agreement that will stop plastic pollution by managing plastic from start to finish—right from designing and producing plastics to disposing or recycling them responsibly.

Unlike previous efforts that mainly focused on cleaning plastic waste, this treaty aims to reduce plastic pollution at its source by changing how plastics are made and used globally. It targets the full lifecycle of plastics, including harmful chemicals often found in plastic products.

The treaty is a response to the overwhelming scale of plastic pollution. Every year, more than 460 million metric tons of plastic are made, and a significant amount ends up polluting our land, rivers, and oceans. Scientists and environmental groups warn that plastic pollution damages wildlife, ruins ecosystems, and even impacts human health by entering our food chain as tiny particles called microplastics.

Why Is There Urgency Now? Four Days Left to Finalize

Negotiations have been ongoing since 2022, and this August 2025 marks the final and crucial phase of talks, known as the INC 5.2 session held in Geneva, Switzerland. Delegates from 184 countries are meeting to try to agree on the treaty’s text once and for all—just days remain to finalize the deal.

This deadline carries high stakes because without a formal agreement, plastic pollution will continue growing unchecked. It is estimated that plastic waste could reach 1.7 billion metric tons by 2060, with staggering economic damages of up to $281 trillion globally over the next 40 years if nothing changes.

The deadline push follows a buildup of work over the past three years, including a draft treaty text that has grown from 22 to 35 pages as negotiators add more details and debate specific articles. The hope is for governments to meet, finalize the rules, and start the formal process for signing and ratification.

Key Points of the Treaty Under Debate

The treaty addresses several critical issues:

• Full lifecycle approach: The treaty aims to govern plastics from production to waste management. This includes reducing plastic use where possible, improving waste collection and recycling, and managing chemicals in plastics.

• Legally binding: The treaty will be a formal international law, compelling countries to follow agreed rules. This gives it real power to create change rather than voluntary commitments.

• Financing and support: Debates include how richer countries can help poorer nations manage plastic pollution and change their plastic industries fairly.

• Focus on harmful substances: Some countries want the treaty to include strict rules on dangerous chemicals used in plastic.

• Flexibility and ambition: Negotiations balance the desire for strong, global measures with the political and economic realities faced by different countries.

Divisions Among Nations: The Main Camps

One of the biggest hurdles is the disagreement among countries about the treaty’s scope and depth.

• Waste management focus: Countries with large oil and gas industries — such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Russia, and Iran — along with the United States and India, favor a narrower treaty mainly focused on managing plastic waste rather than limiting production.

• Ambitious action group: The European Union, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, many African and Latin American countries, and small island nations call for more comprehensive action that includes reducing plastic production and phasing out harmful chemicals.

These divisions reflect larger global tensions between environmental goals and economic interests, especially for countries that rely heavily on fossil fuels and plastic production.

Why the Treaty Matters: The Environmental and Human Cost of Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution is not just an eyesore; it is a crisis damaging the planet’s biodiversity and threatening human health:

• Plastic breaks down into microplastics that contaminate soil, freshwater, and oceans, harming marine life and birds.

• Toxic chemicals in plastics affect ecosystems and food safety.

• Plastic production and disposal contribute around 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, adding to climate change.

• Economically, cleaning plastic pollution is costly, and if unaddressed, it could cause trillions in damage globally.

Small island nations and developing countries bear the hardest burden, facing pollution threats with fewer resources to manage the problem. The treaty aims to recognize these challenges and ensure fair support and access to technology to help these vulnerable countries cope.

The Journey So Far: Past Negotiations and Milestones

The UN Environment Assembly first mandated the treaty in 2022, tasking an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to draft the legal instrument. Since then, five negotiation rounds took place in cities including Nairobi, Ottawa, Busan, and now Geneva.

Early drafts set the framework for rules on plastic bans, pollution control, and cooperation. However, each session revealed the major divisions between countries over how far the treaty should go, especially regarding cutting plastic production versus focusing on waste management.

Despite these challenges, progress has been notable. A 22-page Chair’s text was developed to guide negotiations, covering essential articles such as governance, scope, objectives, and enforcement. This draft has now expanded as negotiators add financial mechanisms, compliance rules, and definitions.

What Happens If Countries Fail to Agree?

With only days remaining, the risk is that countries could fail to reach consensus due to conflicting interests. Without an agreement:

• The plastic pollution problem will continue to grow and worsen.

• Economic costs and environmental damage will increase.

• The opportunity for coordinated international action and funding will be lost, leaving many countries to struggle alone.

However, even if consensus is not reached, the UN process allows for voting on the treaty text, though generally, treaties require unanimous agreement to be effective.

What Comes Next After the Treaty Is Finalized?

If the treaty is agreed upon and signed, countries will enter a ratification phase. This means each country’s government must officially approve the treaty domestically. Once ratified, the treaty’s rules become international law, and members must implement them with national regulations.

International bodies set up by the treaty will monitor compliance, support countries in meeting their obligations, and oversee financing and technology transfer.

This treaty process could be a major milestone in global environmental governance, creating a unified front against plastic pollution and setting an example for dealing with other global environmental problems.

How Can Individuals and Businesses Help?

While the treaty is essential, real change also comes from everyday actions. Individuals can reduce plastic use, recycle properly, and support policies aiming to curb pollution. Businesses can innovate in product design, adopt circular economy principles, and reduce plastic packaging.

Public awareness and demand for sustainable practices increase pressure on governments to act decisively in these treaty talks and beyond.

Global Plastic Pollution Treaty