Global Plastics Treaty: The Last-Ditch Effort to Save a Collapsing Process

Blocking Progress at Every Turn

The global plastics treaty negotiations wrapped up their fifth round in Geneva earlier this summer, with little to celebrate. Despite support from over 100 countries for production caps and chemical bans, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Iran, the self-described “like-minded” group of petrochemical producers, continued to block every meaningful provision.

Following the collapse of consensus at INC-5, WWF publicly urged countries to consider voting instead of relying on unanimity, a telling sign of just how stalled the treaty process has become.

Here's What's Happening

The treaty process that was supposed to create "a harmonized, global framework setting binding and non-binding rules to help combat the waste crisis throughout the plastics life cycle" has become a masterclass in how industry influence can gut international environmental agreements. What started as ambitious global action has devolved into the kind of watered-down compromise that lets everyone claim victory while changing nothing.

The current draft is so vague on key provisions that it could allow a single country to veto future decisions by the treaty’s governing body, effectively freezing progress. In practice, any nation with petrochemical ties could indefinitely block updates.

Corporate Obstruction in Plain Sight

These negotiations aren't just about plastic pollution; they expose how corporate influence can systematically dismantle global environmental agreements. Obstruction tactics have grown increasingly brazen, from insisting on unanimous consent for every procedural detail to threatening delays if countries attempt to vote.

At the November 2024 session in Busan, 220 fossil fuel and petrochemical lobbyists attended, representing the most significant industry presence yet, and outnumbering many national delegations. This surge coincided with escalating procedural objections and delays that prevented substantive progress.

WWF and treaty watchdogs now urge nations to abandon consensus-seeking entirely, warning that the unanimity requirement has been weaponized, giving a handful of petrochemical producers adequate veto power over global environmental policy

Why WWF Wants Countries to Just Vote

WWF's call for voting isn't radical, it's recognition that "the goal cannot be consensus at all costs, dictated by the lowest common denominator." Instead, WWF argues that "states must seek the broadest possible alignment to finalize an ambitious treaty" and should "use all available procedural tools, including the option of voting, to drive progress." The organization warns that "a minority of narrow interests" keeps "stalling the negotiation" and calls for "rejecting bad-faith obstruction." As WWF puts it: "Now is the time for courage, not compromise."

What This Means for Your Daily Life

For consumers, this matters because global plastic production will continue ramping up unchecked if these negotiations fail. Without binding production caps and chemical restrictions, you'll continue to see more microplastics in your food, more toxic additives in packaging, and more plastic waste exported to developing countries.

The corporate announcements about "sustainable packaging" and "circular economy" initiatives that flood your news feeds? They're largely voluntary commitments that can be abandoned the moment market conditions change. A strong global treaty would make these practices mandatory and enforceable.

The Window Is Closing Fast

If the August negotiations collapse, don't expect another chance anytime soon. The next round of global environmental agreements will likely wait for a new political cycle, giving the plastics industry several more years to entrench their position.

Follow the progress: WWF's treaty tracker provides updates on negotiations, and you can push for national action by contacting your representative (find your representative here), who will be attending the Geneva meeting. Because global policy shouldn't be negotiated behind closed doors, especially when it affects every breath we take and every piece of food we eat.