"UN talks ran into overtime, ending with a standoff over whether a treaty should include curbs on plastic production and the way forward unclear" 

"UN talks on creating a global pact to stem plastic pollution collapsed in Geneva with no agreement or clear way forward after chaotic nights of negotiations failed to break a deadlock over whether to include measures aimed at curbing runaway plastic production.

With discussions running into overtime on Thursday night, a last-ditch attempt by the talks’ chair, Ecuadorian diplomat Luis Vayas Valdivieso, to table a new draft proposal for a treaty fell flat. The text, still containing numerous options in brackets, does not include a dedicated section on plastic production, which nearly 100 countries have been calling for.

An opposing group of fossil fuel-producing nations – including Gulf states, Russia and the US – vehemently reject the inclusion in the treaty of any provisions aimed at reducing plastic production, which is set to triple by 2060. The talks were unable to find a way to bridge those divergent positions."

Matteo Civillini reports for Climate Home News August 15, 2025. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Global Plastics Treaty Talks In Geneva End In ‘Abject Failure’" (Euractiv) [3]

"UN Plastics Treaty Talks Fail After US Joins Petrostates In Blocking Action" (Financial Times) [4]

"Countries Deadlocked On Plastic Production And Chemicals As Talks On A Global Treaty Draw To A Close" (AP) [5]