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Negotiators failed to reach an agreement on a landmark treaty to curb plastic pollution, the diplomat presiding over the talks said.
Nearly 200 countries are taking part in a meeting in Busan, South Korea, which aims to produce a landmark agreement after two years of discussions. A week of talks failed to resolve deep divisions between “highly ambitious” countries seeking a globally binding agreement to limit production and phase out harmful chemicals and “like-minded” nations that want to focus on waste.
A draft text released on Sunday afternoon after multiple delays included a wide range of options, making clear the continuing level of disagreement.
When the open plenary session finally convened late Sunday night, Speaker Luis Vaillas Valdivieso said progress had been made, but “we must also recognize that several critical issues still prevent us from reaching a comprehensive agreement.”
He said: “These outstanding issues remain a challenge and further time will be required to effectively address them. There is general agreement that the current session will resume at a later date to conclude our negotiations.”
His comments echoed earlier calls by delegates for follow-up to the so-called INC5 talks, given continuing divisions.
“If you ask me … we are stopping, adapting the paper as it is and trying to do another session,” said Senegal’s Sheikh Sylla. That would give time “to bring the positions together and in this session … we can reach an agreement that is balanced.”
Earlier, delegations seeking an ambitious treaty said a handful of countries were stubbornly blocking progress. A French minister accused the like-minded group of “continued obstruction”, while Rwandan delegate Juliette Kabera said a “small number” of countries “remain unsupportive of the measures needed to stimulate real change”.
“Rwanda cannot accept a toothless treaty,” Kabera said.
Although the countries declined to directly name those blocking the deal, public statements and statements indicated that mostly oil-producing countries, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, had tried to block production cuts and other ambitious targets.
Portuguese delegate Maria Joao Teixeira said earlier on Sunday that another round of talks may be the best option for a meaningful deal. “We really try not to have a weak contract,” she said.
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Environmental groups have urged the ambitious countries to call a vote if progress stalls and said a new round of talks was unnecessary. Erik Lindeberg, head of global plastics policy at WWF, said: “We know what we need to do to end plastic pollution… just adding more meetings is not the answer.”
More than 100 countries support setting a production reduction target, and dozens also support phasing out some chemicals and unnecessary plastic products. The position of the two largest plastic producers in the world – China and the USA – remains unclear. Both were absent from the scene at a press conference on Sunday by parties pushing for a strong treaty.
“They are still considering and we hope there will be some interest from them,” said Mexico’s head of delegation, Camila Cepeda. “This coalition of the willing is an open invitation. And so it’s not like they’re against us.”
Panama’s Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez told his colleagues that “history will not forgive us” for leaving Pusan without an ambitious treaty. “This is the time to step up or get out,” he said.
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