Plastic Pollution
Global Frameworks and India's Position
Plastic pollution has become a major global environmental governance issue. The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in March 2022 passed a historic resolution to develop a legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution by 2024 (extended to 2025). Negotiations for the Plastics Treaty (formally the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee process, INC) have involved India, which has pushed for a treaty that focuses on waste management and recycling rather than capping plastic production — a stance aligned with India's development interests and its large petrochemical sector.
- UNEA Resolution 5/14 (February 2022): Launched negotiations for a global legally binding plastics treaty.
- India's position in INC negotiations: Supports extended producer responsibility and improved waste management globally, but has resisted production caps that would constrain its petrochemicals industry.
- Global plastic production: ~460 million tonnes per year (2019); projected to nearly triple by 2060 without policy intervention.
- Only 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled globally.
- China and India are among the top contributors to global plastic waste by volume, partly reflecting their large populations and growing consumer economies.
● Tracked since March 23, 2026 · last seen April 03, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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