Nearly 100 countries call for ambitious global treaty to end plastic pollution at UN ocean summit

Published on 11/06/2025 - 14:34 GMT+2

Ministers and representatives from much than 95 countries called for an eager statement from world plastics pact negotiations astatine nan UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) connected Tuesday.

Negotiations for nan UN plastics pact collapsed successful precocious 2024 pinch nations incapable to work together connected really champion to extremity millions of tonnes of integrative from entering nan situation each year. The adjacent information of negotiations is owed to resume successful Geneva, Switzerland, successful August.

The declaration, dubbed nan ‘Nice Wake-Up Call’, identifies 5 elements that nan signatories opportunity are cardinal to achieving a world statement that is “commensurate pinch what subject tells america and our citizens are calling for”.

They see a afloat lifecycle approach, including: integrative production, phasing retired chemicals of interest and problematic products, improvements to merchandise design, effective intends of implementation, and incorporating provisions that will let for a pact that tin evolve.

“A pact that lacks these elements, only relies connected voluntary measures aliases does not reside nan afloat lifecycle of plastics will not beryllium effective to woody pinch nan situation of integrative pollution,” nan Nice Wake-Up telephone reads.

French Minister for Ecological Transition Agnes Pannier-Runacher told nan ocean acme successful Nice that nan declaration sends a “clear and beardown message”.

Countries request to find communal crushed connected integrative pollution

More than 200 nations met successful South Korea past twelvemonth for what was meant to beryllium a last information of talks connected a landmark statement to tackle world integrative pollution.

But pursuing 2 years of negotiations, these talks ended without a last treaty aft heavy divisions formed betwixt countries calling for integrative to beryllium phased retired and oil-producing nations. One of nan astir contentious points was whether location should beryllium a committedness to trim really overmuch integrative is produced aliases whether discarded tin beryllium reduced done recycling efforts.

Pannier-Runacher told journalists astatine UNOC connected Tuesday that broad measures covering nan afloat lifecycle of plastics are needed.

“Better discarded guidance and recycling will not thief lick nan problem. This is simply a lie.”

The declaration represents a agreed beforehand from those countries pushing for an eager pact up of nan resumed negotiations.

Jessica Roswall, EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, urged countries to attack nan resumed negotiations successful August “through speech and pinch willingness to find communal ground”.

Tonnes of integrative are dumped into our oceans each year

With talks successful Nice centred astir ensuring oceans are protected, an eager plastics pact is cardinal to this goal.

"Every year, complete 400 cardinal tonnes of integrative is produced worldwide – one-third of which is utilized conscionable once,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said arsenic UNOC opened connected Monday. “Every day, nan balanced of complete 2,000 garbage trucks afloat of integrative is dumped into our oceans, rivers, and lakes.”

Plastic accumulation is expected to triple by 2060, but currently, conscionable 9 per cent is recycled astir nan world. Around 11 cardinal tonnes of integrative discarded finds its measurement into nan water each year, and integrative discarded makes up 80 per cent of each marine pollution.

Andres del Castillo, elder lawyer astatine nan Center for International Environmental Law, says nan Wake-Up Call should beryllium a “floor, not a ceiling”.

“For nan Global Plastics Treaty to succeed, Member States must move beyond vague promises and specify really they are going to deliver, including done clear, legally binding measures and a quality rights-based approach.

“Come August successful Geneva, governmental statements will not beryllium enough. We must spot Member States guidelines up to petrostate and fossil substance interests connected nan level of nan negotiations. Their actions will speak louder than words.”