Negotiations to establish a landmark global treaty to tackle plastic pollution have collapsed, with delegates from nearly 200 nations failing to meet a self-imposed deadline after a week of intense talks in Busan, South Korea. The negotiations, marked by stark divisions, will now continue at a later date. 
 
The main difference was over production cuts on plastic.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>A crisis of consensus</h2>

For a week, delegates from nearly 200 nations wrestled with how to stop plastic waste. The talks were aimed at addressing the millions of tonnes of plastic waste that flood ecosystems annually, with microplastics now found everywhere from Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench—and even within human bodies.&nbsp;

However, progress stalled due to disagreements between "high-ambition" nations advocating for a globally binding agreement to limit production and phase out harmful chemicals and a coalition of oil-producing nations resisting these measures, insisting instead on a focus solely on waste management. &nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-plastic-treaty-hangs-by-a-thread-as-nations-spar-over-production-limits-and-funding-780251">UN plastic treaty hangs by a thread as nations spar over production limits and funding</a>

The session's chair, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, acknowledged the impasse late Sunday, stating, "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," he said.&nbsp;

A draft text released during the talks reflected the unresolved disputes, offering a menu of options rather than a unified path forward. &nbsp;

<h2>Duelling visions for a solution</h2>

Rwanda, speaking on behalf of dozens of countries, spoke of "strong concerns about ongoing calls by a small group of countries to remove binding provisions from the text that are indispensable for the treaty to be effective."

"A treaty that lacks these elements and only relies on voluntary measures would not be acceptable," said Rwandan delegate Juliet Kabera to extensive applause from supportive delegations. &nbsp;

On the other hand, Saudi Arabia, backed by Russia, Iran, and others, argued that the problem lies with pollution, not plastics themselves.&nbsp;

"If you address plastic pollution, there should be no problem with producing plastics, because the problem is the pollution, not the plastics themselves," said Saudi delegate Abdulrahman Al Gwaiz.

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Iran highlighted the "huge gap" between parties, while Russia accused certain parties of setting "ambitions... too high".

Environmental groups warned that the reliance on consensus-based decision-making risked derailing the process entirely.&nbsp;

"We need to break out of this cage of consensus that is condemning us to failure, and start to think much more creatively about how we deliver a treaty that the world desperately needs," said Graham Forbes of Greenpeace. &nbsp;

WWF's Eirik Lindebjerg echoed the sentiment, calling for a creative approach to bypass the "small minority of states" that "have held the negotiation process hostage".

(With inputs from agencies)

Negotiations to establish a landmark global treaty to tackle plastic pollution have collapsed, with delegates from nearly 200 nations failing to meet a self-imposed deadline after a week of intense talks in Busan, South Korea.

Negotiations to establish a landmark global treaty to tackle plastic pollution have collapsed, with delegates from nearly 200 nations failing to meet a self-imposed deadline after a week of intense talks in Busan, South Korea. The negotiations, marked by stark divisions, will now continue at a later date. The main difference was over production cuts on plastic. A crisis of consensus For a week, delegates from nearly 200 nations wrestled with how to stop plastic waste. The talks were aimed at addressing the millions of tonnes of plastic waste that flood ecosystems annually, with microplastics now found everywhere from Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench—and even within human bodies. However, progress stalled due to disagreements between "high-ambition" nations advocating for a globally binding agreement to limit production and phase out harmful chemicals and a coalition of oil-producing nations resisting these measures, insisting instead on a focus solely on waste management. Also read | UN plastic treaty hangs by a thread as nations spar over production limits and funding The session's chair, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, acknowledged the impasse late Sunday, stating, "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," he said. A draft text released during the talks reflected the unresolved disputes, offering a menu of options rather than a unified path forward. Duelling visions for a solution Rwanda, speaking on behalf of dozens of countries, spoke of "strong concerns about ongoing calls by a small group of countries to remove binding provisions from the text that are indispensable for the treaty to be effective." "A treaty that lacks these elements and only relies on voluntary measures would not be acceptable," said Rwandan delegate Juliet Kabera to extensive applause from supportive delegations. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia, backed by Russia, Iran, and others, argued that the problem lies with pollution, not plastics themselves. "If you address plastic pollution, there should be no problem with producing plastics, because the problem is the pollution, not the plastics themselves," said Saudi delegate Abdulrahman Al Gwaiz. Also read | Joe Biden officially pardons son Hunter, says 'I hope Americans will understand' Iran highlighted the "huge gap" between parties, while Russia accused certain parties of setting "ambitions... too high". Environmental groups warned that the reliance on consensus-based decision-making risked derailing the process entirely. "We need to break out of this cage of consensus that is condemning us to failure, and start to think much more creatively about how we deliver a treaty that the world desperately needs," said Graham Forbes of Greenpeace. WWF's Eirik Lindebjerg echoed the sentiment, calling for a creative approach to bypass the "small minority of states" that "have held the negotiation process hostage". (With inputs from agencies)

Global plastic pollution treaty talks fail to meet deadline amid deep divisions

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Global plastic pollution treaty talks fail to meet deadline amid deep divisions