The resumed fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) to develop a global treaty on plastic pollution concluded in Geneva without a final consensus on the text of the agreement.
According to a media note from the U.S. Office of the spokesperson dated August 18, 2025, the meeting, held from August 5-14, ended in a stalemate as participating countries failed to agree on the scope and obligations of the proposed legally binding instrument.
The outcome of the INC-5.2 session, as described in the media note, reflects the ongoing challenge of bridging these different priorities to forge a global consensus.
The United States delegation’s position, as outlined in the note, was to advocate for “common-sense and pragmatic approaches” that would allow individual nations to implement “tailored and cost-effective solutions” that best fit their circumstances.
The U.S. opposed what it termed “prescriptive top-down regulatory approaches” that could stifle innovation and potentially lead to global consumer inflation, arguing that plastics are critical to a wide range of industries, from healthcare to aerospace.
The INC-5 meeting was held in Ottawa, Canada, from April 23 to 29, 2024. This session also concluded without a final agreement, with delegates leaving key sections of the treaty text unresolved.
At the INC-5 meeting in Ottawa, the U.S. was a key member of a coalition of countries that favoured a less prescriptive, nationally determined approach to the treaty. This contrasts with the position of the ‘High Ambition Coalition’, a group of over 60 countries pushing for a strong, legally binding treaty with mandatory measures to curb plastic production.
The lack of consensus highlights the deep divisions among nations regarding how to tackle plastic pollution. While some countries and environmental groups argue for strict, top-down regulations on production and chemical use, others, including major plastic-producing nations, advocate for a more flexible framework focused on national action plans and waste management.
