INC-5: Can world leaders agree on a circular plastics economy amid conflicting national interests?

Today marks the launch of the final negotiation round (INC-5) for a UN Global Plastic Treaty. With the process nearing its conclusion, no agreement or outcome is secured, and governments remain divided on key issues.

Marta Longhurst, global plastics treaty manager at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation tells Packaging Insights that governments must agree on ambitious starting points in the treaty text around restrictions and phase-outs of problematic and avoidable plastic products, as well as improvements in product design, and the inclusion of extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes. 

“It is possible that not everything is agreed at this final INC in Busan, so governments must also commit to putting the structures and processes in place to strengthen and improve the treaty over time through subsequent Conference of the Parties,” she asserts.

“With limited time left for negotiations, this is the only way to a treaty that is fit for purpose and can be effectively implemented in the fight against plastic pollution.”

Finding common ground 

While Longhurst says it is “encouraging” that many governments continue to support an ambitious treaty, significant challenges must be overcome to find consensus on the final treaty text, with some governments focusing on prioritizing recycling and waste management over circular economy strategies that tackle plastic production upstream.

Inger Andersen, executive director, UNEP, listens to the deliberations.“While recycling and better waste management are part of the solution to effectively tackle plastic pollution, all solutions are needed including reduction, reuse, redesign and material substitution,” she says.

“Governments can achieve a treaty that will drive impact at both pace and scale by following these principles. We must see governments in both the High Ambition Coalition and beyond come together and agree on a path forward.”

Longhurst predicts that there will be some important issues on the agenda, including the discussions around global rules and nationally determined measures, as well as divisions around how to reduce plastic production.

“Governments also need to resolve how to finance the implementation of the treaty and agree to include formalised support for countries that need it to ensure a fair and inclusive transition for all involved.”

For the EU, the new treaty must address the adverse impacts of plastic pollution on the environment and human health. Furthermore, the bloc wants to “turn the tap off” on GHG emissions from plastics production and use.

“The EU strongly calls upon world leaders to converge around a structure in the new instrument that addresses plastic production comprehensively. It must include rules on the elimination of chemicals of concern in plastics, bans and phase-outs on problematic products, such as certain single-use plastic products,” the European Commission said today in a press release.

Combining national and global interests?

In light of the recent US elections, it remains to be determined whether the US will stay dedicated to and involved in the treaty negotiations. In his election campaign, president-elect Donald Trump made it clear that he intends to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. 

Trump is furthermore expected to open more acreage to oil and gas extraction and to roll back ambitious rules restricting power plant emissions that were designed to curb global warming.

Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers, tells Packaging Insights that the US’ chemical and plastic makers continue to advocate for smart and effective policies to help accelerate progress toward a circular economy for plastics, where plastics are reused and remade instead of being discarded. As the first day of INC-5 begins, an art installation is presented outside the venue.

“We are committed to providing constructive solutions that enable plastics circularity, beginning at the design of plastic products through to recycling.”

“We stand ready to help the Administration and Congress support American innovation and supply chain resiliency, all while protecting the environment, human health and the communities where our member companies operate,” adds Eisenberg.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Plastics Pact tells us that while the country made significant progress, critical gaps remain at the federal level that limit its ability to fully achieve these targets, regardless of the administration in power. 

“Today, there is still no federally established national recycling rate for plastics — an essential benchmark for measuring progress. Furthermore, the policies and resources needed to drive systemic recycling improvements remain underdeveloped, impacting our Roadmap targets.”

“Although we don’t anticipate this becoming a priority for the next administration, plastics recycling is a bipartisan issue, and we remain committed to advancing the conversation within the supply chain. We are hopeful that this momentum will continue, bringing us closer to a circular plastics economy.”

A system transformation 

As INC-5 nears, the negotiation’s chair, Ecuador’s Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, has proposed an approach to make the most of the seven days of negotiations in Busan. 

“It is important that this approach, outlined through a series of Non-Papers, is accepted by the governments so that the negotiations can conclude with a meaningful outcome at the end of INC-5,” stresses Longhurst.

“The focused framework of this proposal makes the prospects of finding a successful, timely agreement much more likely than using the alternative compilation text which came out of INC-4 in Canada.”

“Above all, what is clear is that our plastics system is broken and must change to one with circular economy principles embedded at its core — a system which eliminates waste and pollution, circulates products and materials and regenerates nature. These seven days in Busan will be essential to get right to enable a true transformation of the system at pace and at scale.”

Following business demands?

Longhurst says that now is a crucial moment in the fight against plastic waste and pollution.

“Lessons from six years of the Global Commitment — the biggest voluntary movement of its kind — have shown us that meaningful change through business-led action is possible and that all stakeholders have an important role to play, but it is not enough in isolation. We now need to see ambitious, legally binding legislation to complement this action,” she says.

“The possibility of securing a UN treaty on plastic pollution is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to prove that we can tackle a global problem with a global solution. This will only be achieved through global binding rules.”

“Businesses want these rules and they have the solutions ready to be rolled out. Now, we must see governments come together, find agreements and chart a path forward in ambition with a robust treaty with circular economy principles at its heart.”

With reporting from Louis Gore-Langton