After two years of discussions, negotiators were unable to sign a treaty aimed at curbing plastic waste, despite representatives from nearly 200 nations gathering in South Korea.

Diplomats from nearly 200 countries convened in Busan, South Korea, but were unable to reach an agreement on a landmark global treaty designed to combat plastic pollution. This marked the conclusion of the fifth and final UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting, which aimed to finalize a "high-ambition" treaty after two years of previous negotiations. The goal was to establish a comprehensive agreement among "like-minded" nations.

The proposed treaty was considered one of the most significant environmental protection accords in history, with potential to rival the carbon emissions reduction framework established in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. However, by the time the final plenary session began on Sunday, two competing proposals remained on the table.

One proposal, introduced by Panama and supported by roughly 100 countries, suggested creating a path to global reductions in plastic production. The second proposal, however, did not include any production caps.

Key points of contention during the talks included the capping of plastic production, managing plastic products and chemicals of concern, and securing financial assistance for developing countries to implement the treaty. These issues proved to be significant obstacles in the negotiations.

Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the chair of the meeting, called for additional time to reach an agreement. While he acknowledged the progress made, he stated, "We must also recognize that a few critical issues still prevent us from reaching a comprehensive agreement. These unresolved issues remain challenging and additional time will be needed to address them effectively."

Eirik Lindebjerg, global plastics policy lead at the environmental NGO WWF, expressed frustration with the lack of progress, commenting, "We know what we need to do to end plastic pollution... simply adding more meetings is not the solution."

A draft resolution from Busan labeled plastic pollution as a "serious environmental and human health problem." Studies have linked plastic production and waste to numerous health issues, including "infertility, obesity, and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many cancers," according to the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty.

Data from Eunomia reveals that China, India, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the United States are the top five producers of polymer products globally. Notably, the US and China were absent from the summit’s final press conference, where nations advocating for a strong treaty voiced their concerns.

Countries in favor of reducing plastic production accused oil-producing nations of using delay tactics to block progress on the treaty. Saudi Arabia and Russia were specifically mentioned as being particularly resistant to these efforts, though they were not named directly during the talks.

Plastic production is projected to triple by 2050, while the presence of microplastics continues to be discovered in our bodies, environment, food, water, and air. As the negotiations faltered, Fiji's Climate Minister Sivendra Michael expressed impatience, stating, "If you're not contributing constructively, and if you're not trying to join us in having an ambitious treaty... then please get out."