• Negotiations on a treaty to curb plastic pollution in Geneva ended without an agreement.
• Delegates remain divided over whether to limit plastic production and toxic chemicals.
• Countries like the U.S. and Saudi Arabia oppose strong restrictions, favoring waste management.
• The talks saw significant participation but failed to bridge differences after 11 days of discussions.
• Environmental leaders express disappointment, calling for urgent action on plastic pollution.

The latest round of negotiations aimed at developing a legally binding treaty to address plastic pollution concluded in Geneva without consensus on key issues, such as limiting plastic production and controlling harmful chemicals used in plastic products. After 11 days of intense negotiations involving over 1,000 delegates from 184 countries, the session was adjourned with promises of future talks after deep divisions among nations persisted throughout the meetings, according to latimes and aljazeera.

Key disagreements centered on whether the treaty should impose caps on the production of new plastics or focus on better waste management and recycling methods. Nations like the U.S. and Saudi Arabia opposed restrictions on production, arguing for a focus on managing existing waste rather than constraining future plastic creation, reports africanews and CBS News.

Chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso expressed disappointment as both the proposed drafts of the treaty failed to gain the necessary support to move forward. Many nations voiced their need for stronger, legally binding actions to effectively combat plastic pollution, but their calls went unmet as discussions unraveled under conflicting national interests, according to reports from scmp and trtglobal.

Environmental leaders and representatives from vulnerable nations expressed frustration at the outcome, noting that the planet is suffering from severe plastic pollution and urging all countries to rise above short-term interests to formulate a robust treaty. The Youth Plastic Action Network was notably one of the few organizations allowed to address delegates during the closing session, emphasizing the need for urgency in tackling this global crisis, as mentioned in articles from Indiatimes and thejakartapost.

The challenge of developing a comprehensive treaty addressing the full lifecycle of plastics proves to be an overwhelming task as nations must come to a consensus on contentious issues, particularly around production limits and chemical controls. The failure to reach agreement this round mirrors dissatisfaction seen in previous discussions held in South Korea, highlighting the persistent deadlock around the treaty, as detailed by trtglobal and Reuters.