The second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), convened from August 5 to 15, 2025 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, represented what many falsely hoped would be the final push toward a legally binding global plastics treaty to curb plastic pollution from production to disposal.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Before the Geneva Talks
The European Union pushed for ambitious measures, including restrictions on plastic production and hazardous chemicals. Civil society groups and scientists backed this approach, citing the mounting costs of pollution to ecosystems, economies, and public health. But concerns about the process grew before the talks even began. Reports revealed a record number of lobbyists from fossil fuel and petrochemical industries (over 230 in total) outnumbering many country delegations and casting doubt on whether science and equity would prevail in the negotiations.
Main Points During the Negotiations
Draft Text Rejected
Midway through the session, INC Chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso released a new draft treaty. To the dismay of many delegations, the text excluded binding limits on plastic production. The omission sparked backlash from the High Ambition Coalition and NGOs, who argued that without production caps, the treaty could not deliver real change.
Deep Divisions Surfaced
Key disagreements centered on whether the treaty should include mandatory production limits, hazardous chemical controls, and financial support for global south implementation, or remain focused on voluntary waste management and recycling.
Additionally, the requirement of consensus for text adoption meant even a single bloc could veto proposals. Oil-producing nations leveraged the previous to stall progress, despite broad support from over 70 countries for strong action on plastic production and chemical safety.
Civil Society Voices Spoke Out
Civil society groups also voiced frustration. Indigenous representatives, waste pickers, and other communities said they were sidelined while industry voices dominated. “A treaty about us, without us, is erasing history,” one delegate warned. Environmental organizations cautioned that without stronger commitments, the negotiations risked wasting what many see as a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
After the Collapse
No Treaty and No Timeline for Now
By the end of eleven days of talks, no agreement was reached. INC-5.2 closed without consensus and without a plan for when negotiations would resume. Delegates expressed disappointment, with South Africa’s representative noting how far apart national positions remained. David Azoulay of the Center for International Environmental Law described the outcome bluntly: “an abject failure.”
Frustration and Disappointment
Civil society reactions were equally sharp. Groups including Friends of the Earth and IUCN said the process had been undermined by corporate capture, pointing to the overwhelming presence of fossil fuel lobbyists in Geneva.
Future Action
Despite the setback, many organizations emphasized that the effort is not over. Campaigners vowed to regroup and build pressure outside the negotiating halls, with hopes that future rounds will restore ambition and deliver the robust, enforceable treaty that scientists and communities say is essential.
Conclusion
The collapse of INC-5.2 underscored the difficulty of balancing global ambition with industrial interests. More than one hundred countries arrived in Geneva determined to push for a science-based agreement to cut production and regulate chemicals. Yet a smaller group of petrochemical-aligned nations blocked those measures, leaving the process stalled and the world’s plastic crisis unchecked.
No new timeline for talks has been set, and the road ahead looks increasingly uncertain. Still, the urgency has not diminished. Plastic waste continues to flood oceans, rivers, and communities at record levels. Whether world leaders can overcome political and industrial resistance in future rounds will determine if this treaty becomes a turning point, or another missed chance in the fight against plastic pollution.
