Prospects of a global plastic pollution treaty inch forward after Paris summit

A five-day plastic pollution summit in Paris ended with a unanimous agreement to have a first draft of an international treaty on the problem completed by November.

The decision by the UN-sponsored summit came after extensive negotiations by delegates from 175 countries.

The third meeting of the International Negotiating Committee (INC) is due to take place in November in Nairobi, Kenya, with a view to signing a definitive treaty by the end of 2024.

The stakes are high: annual production has more than doubled in 20 years to 460 million tonnes. It could triple by 2060 if nothing is done.

Countries must reach agreement despite diverging ambitions and opposing pressure from certain industries, supported by oil-producing countries, and NGOs.

After the next meeting in Kenya, negotiations in April 2024 will continue in Canada, concluding in South Korea at the end of 2024.