Divided into four clusters, the authors show how certain states are pushing for ambitious rules that limit plastics production, as they want to tackle the underlying problem in a more ambitious way. Other delegations focus primarily on waste management and recycling, often for economic reasons and domestic industrial interests.
The authors warn that if the agreement is limited to being only an agreement on waste measures, this will lead to the fundamental causes of plastic pollution – the constantly growing production levels – remaining unaddressed. At a time of increased geopolitical tensions, the findings raise the question of whether the conditions for an effective global agreement exist and what the alternatives are.
Authors: Elin Dreyer, Teis Hansen, Karl Holmberg, Lionel Kielhöfer, Tara Olsen and Johannes Stripple
Title of publication: Towards a global plastics treaty: Navigating policy preferences and economic interests
Link to article: https://doi.org/10.1017/plc.2025.10030