As we described in an earlier article, the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution (INC-5) which ended on 1 December 2024 was intended to be the last round of negotiations, culminating in an agreed final treaty text.

However, though progress was made in developing the treaty text, key areas of the treaty remain contentious. As a result no treaty was agreed, with negotiations suspended and set to resume in 2025. Planet Tracker reported: “An analysis by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) revealed the extensive participation of fossil fuel and chemical industry representatives. This demonstrates the growing concern of these sectors of the disruption such a treaty would bring to their operations.”

See the video below for the background of and some reactions to the failure.

More information

Header Image: A 30-foot high monument entitled ‘Turn off the plastics tap‘ by Canadian activist and artist Benjamin von Wong outside the venue for the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2022. Image by UNEP/Cyril Villemain

Article by The Great Nurdle Hunt on the issues facing future negotiations.

Press release by UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on the adjournment of INC-5.

Planet Tracker report on why the negotiations failed.