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Global efforts to forge the first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution have ended without agreement. After nearly three years of negotiations and eleven days of tense talks in Geneva, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) concluded with no resolution.

The primary stumbling block was the failure to agree on a binding cap on plastic production. A revised draft text acknowledged that current levels of plastic production and consumption are unsustainable and exceed existing waste management capacities. However, it stopped short of committing to enforceable limits, a key demand for many countries, particularly Small Island States.

Permanent Secretary for Tuvalu’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Climate Change and Environment and Chair of the Pacific Small Island Developing States Pepetua Latasi stated that they had hoped to reach a historic agreement to begin ending plastic pollution especially in marine environments. Instead, she said, they are leaving empty-handed. For island countries, this outcome means millions of tonnes of plastic waste will continue entering the ocean, damaging ecosystems, food systems, livelihoods, and cultures.

Palau, speaking for the Alliance of Small Island States, reiterated the need for trust, transparency, and clear processes.
Gwen Sisior, Principal Advisor to AOSIS, said the group had consistently called for empowered co-chairs, timely guidance, and more informal engagement. While she acknowledged moments of flexibility and progress, she said time ultimately ran out.

The final plenary session, delayed for hours, was opened and adjourned within a minute as consultations continued behind closed doors. A revised draft was released at 2:00 am on Friday in a last-ditch attempt to build consensus. It failed to deliver the breakthrough needed.

The talks had been described as the most significant environmental negotiations since the Paris Agreement. According to the statement, their collapse leaves the world with no coordinated global response to the growing plastic crisis.

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