"Negotiations over the first legally binding UN treaty on plastic pollution collapsed in the final stage of discussions, after oil-producing nations led by Saudi Arabia and Russia blocked efforts by 100 countries to place limits on new production.

The fifth round of talks, which took place in Busan, South Korea this week, will be extended to an undecided future date, after negotiations broke down as nations disagreed over how to tackle the world’s plastic waste crisis.

The impasse reflects geopolitical strains in the multilateral UN process. It is the third UN forum to reach a roadblock in the past month."

Madeleine Speed and Amanda Chu report for Financial Times December 1, 2024. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Plastic Treaty Talks Draw To A Close With Production Limits Still Under Debate" (AP) [3]

"Countries Fail To Reach Agreement in UN Plastic Talks" (Reuters) [4]

"Divided Over Whether To Stop Making Plastic, U.N. Treaty Talks Collapse" (Washington Post) [5]

"Saudi Arabia Leads Pushback Against Global Plastic Treaty" (New York Times) [6]