Plastic Pollution
International Governance and UN Plastics Treaty
Global plastic production has reached approximately 400 million tonnes per year. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been leading negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty since 2022, mandated by UNEA Resolution 5/14 (March 2022). The treaty aims to cover the full lifecycle of plastics — from production to disposal. Negotiations (INC — Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee) have held multiple rounds, with INC-5 in Busan, South Korea in 2024 failing to reach agreement, with talks extended into 2025-2026.
- UNEA Resolution 5/14 (March 2022): Launched negotiation of a legally binding global plastics treaty
- Global plastic production: ~400 million tonnes/year; only ~9% ever recycled globally (UNEP data)
- INC process: INC-1 (Punta del Este, Uruguay, 2022) → INC-2 (Paris, 2023) → INC-3 (Nairobi, 2023) → INC-4 (Ottawa, 2024) → INC-5 (Busan, 2024, extended)
- Key fault lines: Fossil fuel-producing nations (Saudi Arabia, Russia) resist production caps; progressive alliance (EU, Pacific Islands, Canada) seeks binding production limits; India's position: focus on waste management over production restrictions
- Basel Convention (1989): Governs hazardous waste transboundary movements; 2019 amendment extended controls to plastic waste exports
- India-specific: India's single-use plastic ban effective July 1, 2022 (covers 19 categories including plates, cups, straws, cutlery, polystyrene)
● Tracked since March 23, 2026 · last seen April 03, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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