What Have Countries Opted For? – Outcome of INC-5 Geneva Session on Plastic Pollution

The recently concluded second part of the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5), held in Geneva, Switzerland from 5th – 14th August 2025, brought together global leaders, policymakers, and organizations to address one of the world’s most pressing challenges – plastic pollution.

The session aimed to drive consensus towards a legally binding global treaty to tackle plastic waste, including marine plastic pollution. With participation from 183 countries, the event saw over 2,600 delegates, including 1,400 government representatives and nearly 1,000 observers from 400 international organizations, reflecting the scale and urgency of the issue.

Key Areas of Deliberation

During the negotiations, discussions focused on critical themes such as:

Plastic design and eco-friendly alternatives
Chemicals of concern in plastics
Production caps and reduction targets
Financing mechanisms for implementation
Compliance and accountability frameworks

A Deadlock Without Consensus

Despite intense deliberations, member states failed to reach a consensus, particularly on sensitive issues such as:

Eco-design standards opposed by industry stakeholders
Hazardous chemicals in plastics, including microplastics that pose severe risks to marine ecosystems
Production caps, which faced pushback from high plastic-producing nations

The lack of agreement led to the adjournment of the session without a concrete outcome. The discussions will now be deferred to a future session, likely in 2026, to readdress the unresolved challenges.

Outlook for the Next Session

While the failure to reach consensus disappointed many, especially NGOs and environmental observers, the session provided critical lessons. The next round of negotiations is expected to address these bottlenecks more constructively, with greater emphasis on:

Stronger eco-design principles
Phasing out hazardous chemicals
Addressing microplastics pollution
Ensuring just financing and fair compliance mechanisms

Conclusion

The Geneva session underlined both the complexity and urgency of negotiating a global plastic treaty. Although consensus was not achieved, the process has paved the way for reformed, inclusive, and solution-oriented discussions in the next session. For countries, this represents not just a diplomatic challenge but also an opportunity to align on sustainable plastic policies that safeguard both people and the planet.

Read original: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tfhcA8qHXY56QDRVbZVIkQzteIDFP2uyn-HLQXsiV2o/edit?usp=sharing