In Busan, Republic of Korea, from November 25 to December 1, 2024, the first part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.1) under UNEP's leadership took place, where countries worked on developing a global treaty to combat plastic pollution. Despite some progress, a final agreement was not reached due to disagreements between countries supporting mandatory measures to reduce plastic production and those insisting on focusing on waste management.
Negotiations will resume in the second part of the fifth session (INC-5.2), scheduled for August 5-14, 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland. Regional consultations will be held on August 4, 2025, before the session begins. This meeting is expected to provide an opportunity to resolve disputed issues and finalize the treaty text.
ONE HERITAGE, alongside the PDD Platform, supports these efforts, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions and collective action to protect nature from the 400 million tons of plastic produced by humanity each year. A significant portion of this waste pollutes ecosystems, threatening biodiversity and planetary health. The campaign calls for accelerated progress to prevent plastic production from tripling by 2060.
Key Points:
- Dates of the first part of negotiations: November 25 - December 1, 2024 (Busan)
- Dates of the second part of negotiations: August 5-14, 2025 (Geneva)
- 400 million tons of plastic produced annually
- Main disagreements: production reduction versus waste management
- Goal: global agreement on combating plastic pollution