New Plastics Treaty Text Sparks Concerns Over Production Curbs

## UN Plastics Treaty Talks Hit a Roadblock A new draft text for the UN plastics treaty has been released, sparking concerns that ambition for the global pact is shrinking. The text does not include specific measures to manage runaway plastic production, a growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. This has drawn criticism from some countries and campaigners, who argue that the document is increasingly aligned with the demands of fossil fuel-producing countries. The new text recognises the world's "unsustainable" levels of plastic production and consumption, both of which are projected to nearly triple by 2060. However, it contains no measures to stem that growth, critics say. This has led to concerns that the treaty is being watered down and that the ambition for a global pact to tackle plastic pollution is shrinking. ## Fossil Fuel Producers Push for Weaker Treaty Fossil fuel-producing countries, including Gulf states, the US, and Russia, have pushed for the treaty to focus on managing plastic waste rather than limiting production. This has led to a weakening of ambition in the treaty, with measures aimed at achieving sustainable production progressively weakened over time. The initial versions of the draft treaty included a standalone article with the option of setting a global target to reduce the production and consumption of primary plastics. However, this provision disappeared from successive drafts, and the last version only mentioned "sustainable production" in the preamble. ## Campaigners Call for Stronger Provisions Campaigners have accused the chair of making political calculations to reach an agreement at any cost. They argue that the current text should not be viewed as an end-product, but as a starting point that can and should be improved. France, together with the EU and members of the High Ambition Coalition, will continue pushing for stronger provisions, including measures to address plastic production. The High Ambition Coalition includes over 70 countries, primarily from across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific. Micronesian negotiator Dennis Clare said countries on the frontline of the plastics crisis may decide to reject a really weak treaty that puts the burden on them to clean up somebody else's waste, while producers can keep churning out plastics unrestrained. "If the treaty does not include essential elements of the solution, even an initial, apparent diplomatic success - an agreement - can come to be seen over time as an environmental failure," Clare warned. ## Next Steps for the Plastics Treaty Governments will debate the new text at another meeting of chief negotiators in Bangkok, Thailand, at the end of September. A new version of the document is expected after that meeting. The French diplomatic source said the current text should not be viewed as an end-product, but as a starting point that can and should be improved. The future of the plastics treaty remains uncertain, with campaigners and countries pushing for stronger provisions to address plastic production and consumption. The next few months will be crucial in determining the direction of the treaty and whether it will meet its ambition to tackle plastic pollution.