It’s no news that plastics harm the planet and its people, but we haven’t moved past this dialogue as they remain globally unmanaged and a grave threat to the environment.
A sliver of hope was seen in March 2022 when 175 countries convened to develop the first treaty on plastic pollution by the end of 2024, but has since faced challenges after nations this year ended the plastic treaty talks in Busan, South Korea with no comprehensive approach to address the crisis.
The fifth and supposed last round of conference, led by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5), remains unfinished following disputes between the two main negotiating groups.
Plastics stay winning?
High Ambition Coalition (HAC), which spans the EU, Mexico, Canada, most of South America and Africa, and others, advocates creating a treaty tackling plastics' entire lifecycle. Meanwhile, while oil-producing countries and some other nations, tagged as the Like-Minded Group, seek to divert the spotlight to proper waste management. Paired with neutral stances from developed economies, including the US, UK, China, and Brazil, ending plastic pollution then becomes a distant goal.
HAC believes top plastic producers including the US should pay for a just transition away from plastics and toward circularity, which highlights a reuse-based economy.
Despite failing to meet the deadline for the plastics treaty this year, INC Executive Secretary Jyoti Mathur-Filipp highlighted it would set the foundation for a binding agreement once negotiations resume next year.
“Talks have moved us closer to a plastics treaty that will protect our future and end plastic pollution. We have tested the resilience of this planet to its limit. Now is the time for us to push our own limits and honor the trust placed in us," she expressed.
Progress on INC-5 was also halted due to the "exclusion of rightsholders disproportionately impacted by plastic pollution," according to the Plastic Pollution Coalition.
"Frontline allies, Indigenous Peoples, and nonprofit organizations—including the PPC team on the ground—were once again sidelined. Observers faced restricted access, with many negotiations held behind closed doors and some civil society members even removed from overcrowded rooms," the organization revealed.
Greenpeace Philippines
In a survey conducted by Greenpeace and Censuswide earlier this year, 94 percent of Filipinos expressed their support for a global plastics treaty “that would mandate cuts in global plastic production,” while 90 percent agreed to ban single-use plastics.
The Philippines supported the development of a science-based plastics treaty in the earlier negotiations, but civil society groups warned of possible attempts by polluters to undermine the government’s stance.
"We hope the Philippine government will not succumb to these pressures or backslide from its previously stated positions. We will support our country's delegation but will also not hesitate to expose backsliding in the service of polluters," said Von Hernandez of Break Free From Plastic.
Last month, in a letter addressed to DENR Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga, the groups urged the department to remain committed to its ambitious position in the plastic treaty talks. The objectives included eliminating certain chemicals in plastics, reducing primary plastic polymers, and implementing accessible financing to solve the crisis.
"A weak treaty—without measures to reduce plastic production and phase out harmful plastics and chemicals of concern—leaves Filipinos facing greater harm. People need a treaty that drives ambition, robust policies, and concrete actions across the plastic lifecycle, as this is our once-in-a-generation chance to finally end plastic pollution on a global scale," said Marian Ledesma, zero waste campaigner at Greenpeace PH.
Last week, Greenpeace PH, Young Earthsavers’ Society, and other groups put up a banner that read "End plastic now!" on the shorelines of Urbiztondo to push for a strong plastics treaty that would require fair financial support for a reuse-based society and a massive cut in plastic production.
“We are calling on the DENR to help ensure that the talks conclude with an outcome that is pro-people and planet. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pave the way for a healthier, plastic-free future. The stakes are high, and failure is not an option. The world is watching, and it demands action,” she stressed.
Meanwhile, 220 fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists have had access to the INC-5, the Center for International Environmental Law disclosed.
“The analysis reveals a desperate industry willing to sacrifice our planet and poison communities, especially vulnerable communities in the Global South, to protect its profits. Fossil fuel and petrochemical lobbyists, aided by a handful of member states, must not dictate the outcome of these critical negotiations,” she urged.
Businesses claim they strive to balance interests among profit, people, and the planet, but past negotiations to solve any environmental crisis have proven profit heavily outweighs the two. Of course, top plastic producers are the first to downplay a treaty that would harm their income.
With parts of the negotiation held off the record, the fight against plastics becomes uphill, but collectively we can work to shake the slope, topple those in power, and build a society where human health isn't sidelined for additional income.