Nearly 200 countries and about 2,000 delegates gathered in Paris for the second World Summit focused on plastics, aiming to curb or even end the global plastic pollution crisis. The scale of the problem is staggering, with waste rising to roughly 430 million tons each year. Yet the path to a binding international agreement remains contested, as shown by the debates unfolding at the meeting.
This gathering follows the first summit held in Uruguay six months earlier. The objective is a comprehensive agreement by the end of 2024, a global pact that would apply to all nations and specify common standards for plastic production, use, and disposal.
At the Uruguay meeting, a sharp division formed between two camps. One side advocates a universal agreement supported by the High Ambition Coalition, seeking a single, legally binding framework for all countries. The other side favors differentiated approaches tailored to each country’s circumstances, an approach backed by major plastics manufacturers and some large economies including the United States and China. The industry tends to favor flexible, incremental measures over a universal cap on production.
In this second round, a fresh fray emerged between the High Ambition front led by Norway and Rwanda and proponents of less drastic steps who argue for voting methods and procedural clarity to slow or shape the adoption of concrete limits on plastic production and the manufacture of packaging. The consensus remains that direct reductions in plastic production would be the most effective way to cut waste, although it remains a point of contention among major players.
Support for binding universal standards comes from nearly 40 countries, underscoring the health and ecological harms caused by plastic pollution and the need for global accountability.
Major producers resist production caps
The United States, China, and oil-rich Gulf states favor expanding and improving recycling rather than curbing overall plastic output. They emphasize the social and economic benefits of plastics, arguing that while pollution must be addressed, production limits could threaten essential uses of plastic in society. They call for stronger recycling systems and improved collection, rather than a broad reduction in production.
Global plastic output and disposables
Humanity creates about 430 million tons of plastic each year, and roughly two-thirds of that comprises disposable items. The United States stands as the largest consumer of plastics, with consumption around 300 kilograms per person annually, a rate about double the European average. This gives the industry substantial influence in shaping policy decisions.
Leading industry groups, including the International Council of Chemical Societies and the World Plastics Council, along with national chemistry associations, advocate for a treaty that reduces plastic pollution while preserving the societal benefits of plastics. They argue that many modern plastic products are essential and life-saving in health care, transportation, and daily life.
Countries in the High Ambition Coalition seek a legally binding document by the end of next year with a target to end plastic pollution by 2040, reflecting a sense of urgency and accountability.
Calls to keep industry out of negotiations
At the summit opening, protesters near the headquarters carried banners demanding that industry stakeholders be kept out of the negotiations, arguing that those who profit from plastics cannot fully resolve the problem they help create.
French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the gathering, urging a shift away from a globalized, unsustainable model. In a video message played at the start of the talks, he warned about the rising production and consumption of plastics, calling it a time bomb and urging decisive action.
Macron argued for a first priority to reduce new plastic production and for banning highly polluting single-use products. He stressed that more than 430 million tons of plastic are produced annually, and a large share consists of short-lived items that quickly become waste, end up in oceans, and often enter the food chain. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has indicated that about half of plastic waste goes to landfills and could grow by 2060 without substantial improvements in recycling rates.
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