Countries Fail to Reach Agreement on Plastic Pollution During UN Treaty Talks

The summit in Busan, South Korea, was supposed to be the last of its kind, but consensus on what to include in the agreement could not be reached.

A display board shows a call for a reduction in plastic production during the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution, at a taxi station in Busan, South Korea. on Nov. 30, 2024. Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo

Negotiations to reach a global treaty aimed at curbing plastic pollution collapsed on Dec. 2 after oil-producing nations blocked a plan, supported by more than 100 countries, to cap production.

The fifth U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting in Busan, South Korea, began on Nov. 25 and was intended to conclude on Dec. 1 with a legally binding global treaty.