Plastic pollution: a last chance negotiation in Geneva

After the dismal failure of the discussions held in Busan, South Korea, at the end of 2024, the world's eyes are turning to Geneva. Nearly 180 countries gathered this Tuesday, August 5 for a new session of intergovernmental negotiations under the aegis of the UN, with an objective as ambitious as it is urgent: to develop a binding global treaty against plastic pollution.

Global plastic consumption could triple by 2060, according to projections from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published in 2023. « Every year, around 460 million tonnes of plastic are produced worldwide, half of which are single-use. Less than 10% of plastic waste is recycled », declares the OECD.

A colossal volume, a significant part of which escapes recycling channels and ends up in rivers, oceans, marine fauna and even our own plates. Plastic is now omnipresent: in the water we drink, the fish we eat, and even in our bodies, via microplastics.

A North-South dichotomy at the heart of the negotiations

Faced with this emergency, a coalition of 85 countries, mainly from Africa, Latin America and the Pacific Islands, is calling for an ambitious and legally binding treaty. It calls in particular for: limiting the production of plastic at source, a ban on certain single-use plastics, and increased accountability for large plastic-producing industries.

According to certain NGOs on site, these demands come up against resistance from several major industrialized powers, often supported by the powerful lobbies of the petrochemical industry. For these countries, the economic issues weigh heavily, at the risk of emptying the treaty of its substance.

A countdown for the planet

Time is running out. According to UN data, every minute, the equivalent of a truckload of plastic is dumped into the ocean. If negotiations fail again, the world could end up with a vague, non-binding agreement with no real effect on the global plastic crisis.

“The fight against plastic pollution cannot wait any longer. The treaty discussed in Geneva must be a historic turning point, not a simple diplomatic compromise,” alert the NGOs present on site.

A test for global environmental governance

This Geneva meeting represents much more than a simple round of negotiations. For several observers, this negotiation is seen as a major test for the capacity of States to act collectively in the face of a global ecological crisis.

At a time when the consequences of plastic pollution are visible on all continents, the international community no longer has the right to make mistakes. The world expects a strong treaty before the summit closes on August 14. Geneva could be its cradle or tomb.

Issa BARRY