Six rounds of meetings over almost three years have failed to produce agreement on the measures needed to tackle one of the greatest environmental challenges facing our planet. Disappointment and frustration reign, although this was to be expected.

Unfortunately, a small group of oil-producing countries has blocked progress on the two key issues needed to tackle the problem: putting a cap on global plastic production and banning toxic chemicals associated with plastic.

The other countries have not agreed to sign a minimalist treaty, which seems quite reasonable. The proposal presented did not provide any guarantees as to its effectiveness in advancing the fight against the harmful effects of plastic pollution. Accepting it would have been tantamount to giving in and denying the existence of a real problem. International treaties on other issues of global concern, such as climate change, have usually set targets to be achieved within a timeframe that, unfortunately, is never met and needs to be extended. But in this case, the starting point is so weak that it is unacceptable.

Focusing the solution to the problem of plastic pollution solely on recycling the waste generated, when recycling rates with current production levels do not even reach 10%, is clearly insufficient. Pretending that measures should be addressed at the national level is to misunderstand what plastic pollution means for the environment.

Now we can only hope for further meetings that will lead to a treaty that, at the very least, sets acceptable minimum standards. Meanwhile, with every year that passes without an agreement, we continue to increase the production of virgin plastic, generate more plastic waste that spreads into our aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and use toxic substances that enter our bodies and affect our health.

EN