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Procedural hurdles once again foil progress on a global agreement to end plastic pollution.
Delegates are meeting in Geneva for a sixth — and potentially final — round of negotiations.
Despite strong evidence that plastics are harmful to people, oil-producing countries oppose action on human health.
As countries try to find agreement on plastic pollution, creative interventions are turning heads — and turning the conversation toward health harms, fossil fuels, and false solutions.
Dozens of countries say the treaty will only “end plastic pollution” if it restricts production.
“If it wasn’t for Saudi and Russia we would have reached an agreement here.”
In a reversal, the Biden administration will back production limits as part of the United Nations’ global plastics treaty.
Tackling plastic’s entire lifespan, from production to disposal, could eliminate most of the pollution it generates. But a vast expansion of waste management is a “crucial prerequisite.”
