Global plastics treaty
A general debate on the global plastics treaty is scheduled to take place in the House of Commons Chamber on Thursday 17 July 2025. The subject for this debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee.
A general debate on the global plastics treaty is scheduled for Thursday 17 July 2025 in the House of Commons. The Member leading the debate is Alistair Carmichael MP (Liberal Democrat). The subject of the debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee.
A new legally binding instrument to address plastic pollution is being negotiated by the United Nations (UN). The original aim was to agree it by the end of 2024, but negotiations are still ongoing after disagreement between two different groups of countries about whether to include mandatory reduction targets for certain types of plastic polymers.
About the global plastics treaty
In March 2022, at the United Nations Environment Assembly (the world's highest-level decision-making body on environmental matters), heads of state, ministers of environment and other representatives from 175 nations signed a resolution committing to developing an international legally binding agreement (PDF) that addresses the full lifecycle of plastic pollution. This included the UK Government. The resolution noted with concern that:
“the high and rapidly increasing levels of plastic pollution represent a serious environmental problem at a global scale, negatively impacting the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development”.
The resolution established an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), which began work in 2022. The expectation is that the INC will produce a legally binding instrument (a treaty) which will address the full life cycle of plastic, including its production, design, and disposal.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), said the instrument will be the most important international multilateral environmental deal since the Paris climate accord.
Five rounds of negotiations were originally timetabled, which were due to have concluded in November 2024 in in Busan, South Korea. However, the Busan talks ended without an agreement.
Negotiating positions and points of contention
Following the 2022 resolution, the UK Government published a press release, UK backs ambitious global action to tackle plastic pollution, 2 March 2022, setting out its support for this work towards an international agreement.
As part of this work, the UK Government joined what is called a ‘High Ambition Coalition’ (HAC) of countries. The coalition is co-chaired by Norway and Rwanda. In May 2023, 52 governments, including the UK Government, signed a joint ministerial statement which aimed to reinforce the commitment to end plastic pollution:
“The Joint Ministerial Statement, published today, calls for a range of mandatory provisions to be included in the global plastic pollution treaty, currently under negotiation. These include reducing the production and consumption of primary plastic polymers to sustainable levels; eliminating and restricting unnecessary, avoidable or problematic plastics, chemicals and products; and eliminating the release of plastics into nature, amongst others.”
Following this statement, the HAC has published further statements setting out its position, including most recently, the statement from the French Government at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice in June 2025 (see Nice wake up call for an ambitious plastics treaty (PDF), signed by 95 countries, including the UK as of 10 June 2025). The statement calls for targets and legally binding obligations:
“We therefore call for the adoption of a global target to reduce the production and consumption of primary plastic polymers to sustainable levels, to be regularly adjusted with a view of enhancing the level of ambition. We also call for an obligation for Parties to report on their production, imports and exports of primary plastic polymers, and to take measures across the full lifecycle of plastics to achieve the global target.
We call for a legally binding obligation to phase out the most problematic plastic products and chemicals of concern in plastic products including those most likely to cause harm or hinder circularity. We support a global list of plastic products and chemicals of concern therein, as well as a robust scientific approach for the COP [conference of the parties] to take decisions on new entries to this list whilst allowing for flexibilities that take into account specific national circumstances.”
Another group of countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Cuba, Russia have officially formed a group called the “Global Coalition for Plastics Sustainability” (also known as the “Like Minded-Group of Countries”). This group wants negotiations to focus on ways to recycle plastic, with countries left to determine their own targets.
The main point of contention in the negotiations is whether to include mandatory reduction targets for the production of primary plastic polymers (the raw materials used to manufacture a wide range of plastic products). The Like-Minded Group, including some of the most prominent oil-producing nations, oppose such targets. A statement issued by Iran (PDF, 2023) outlines this position, stating that:
“while being ambitious, we should be realistic in designing the new instrument, definition of its scope and the core obligations, avoiding any unrealistic obligations, actions and targets which are not supported by corroborated scientific reports, technical data and analysis and capacity building supports.”
The plastics industry, including representatives from the UK plastics industry have been attending the INC sessions (see for example, British Plastics Federation, BPF at INC-5 for the Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution, 11 December 2024). Synthetic plastics are derived from crude oil, natural gas or coal and, as such, fossil fuel companies have also been part of the delegations attending the INC sessions (see for example, Climate Home News, Fossil fuel lobby secures “record” access to crunch talks on new plastics pact, 28 November 2024, and ExxonMobil, On the road to Busan and a global plastics treaty, 26 September 2024).
Concerns have been raised however about the scale of the lobby groups with interests in fossil fuels and petrochemicals attending the negotiating sessions (see for example, Center for International Environmental Law, Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Flood Final Scheduled Round of Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations, 27 November 2024). This is issue was also raised in oral evidence by Greenpeace given to the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, in a one-off evidence session focusing on the Global Plastics Treaty, 8 July 2025. Greenpeace noted that “In some cases, lobbyists from the fossil fuel industry are actually able to be on the delegation of countries, so they have a seat at the table at the negotiations in a way that, say, civil society or indigenous communities do not.” Representatives from INEOS, (a global manufacturer of chemicals, speciality chemicals, and oil products) told the committee that their role at the INCs was mainly to observe the proceedings.
Next steps
The reconvened second part of the talks (INC-5.2) is scheduled to take place from 5 to 14 August 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. The starting point for negotiations is likely to be the Chair's Text (PDF) issued at the end of the Busan negotiations on 1 December 2024. Much of the Chair’s Text is bracketed, which means that it is yet to be finalised, including on the precise scope of materials covered by the proposed treaty.
UK Government work
On 24 June 2025 the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) held a roundtable ahead of INC-5.2. The event built on a roundtable held on 6 November 2024 ahead of INC-5. Both roundtables were co-chaired by Defra minister Emma Hardy and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (a charity committed to creating a circular economy).
The roundtables brought together businesses from across the plastic value chain to discuss how the private sector can support the agreement and implementation of the treaty. Businesses involved in the roundtable have signed an accompanying statement calling for an ambitious and effective treaty. Signatories include, for example, Nestlé, Waitrose, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Tesco, and Unilever, and the statement remains open to sign until 5 August 2025. The government has said the statement “sends a strong message of private sector support which will have a positive impact in building momentum towards an agreement.”
In a PQ the government was asked about discussions with the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries on the global plastics treaty. The government replied (5 February 2025) to set out its stakeholder engagement, as follows:
“The UK Government, at all stages of the INC process, has made it a priority to engage with a broad range of stakeholders across the plastics value chain, including trade associations representing fossil fuel and petrochemical industries. We partnered with the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network to run the UK Treaty Dialogues ahead of each round of negotiations, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders to help us understand the variety of views on the draft treaty.”
Further Reading Press
The Business Standard - Toward a legally binding global plastic treaty – 15 July 2025
The Business Standard - Experts call for eco-friendly design in plastic use - 15 July 2025
UN Climate Summit - Attitudes towards the Global Plastics Treaty – 14 July 2025
Resource – EFRA Committee hears concerns over “last chance” global plastics treaty talks – 10 July 2025
Nature - Plastics pollution is surging the planned UN treaty to curb it must be ambitious – 9 July 2025
Circular - EFRA Committee begins enquiry into the circular economy – 8 July 2025
Addleshaw Goddard - Plastics: Next steps for the UN Global Plastics Treaty and key UK and EU regulatory developments – 26 June 2025
Parliamentary Material
Commons Library research briefing, CBP 8515, Plastic waste
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Preventing waste and enabling a circular economy, 2025
Global Plastics Treaty, HC Deb 20 Nov 2024, Westminster Hall, 757 cc118-125WH.
Parliamentary Questions
Asked by: Dr Simon Opher | 07 Apr 2025 | Written questions | Answered | House of Commons | 44621
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has received representations from fossil fuel companies on the Global Plastics Treaty.
Answered by: Emma Hardy | Department: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 24 Apr 2025
The second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution is scheduled to take place from 5 to 14 August 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.
As with previous negotiating committee sessions, the UK will have a strong negotiating presence to push for the agreement of an ambitious and effective Treaty covering the full plastics life cycle. No decisions have been taken on Ministerial attendance.
Asked by: Dr Simon Opher | 29 Jan 2025 | Written questions | Answered | House of Commons | 27463
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had discussions with the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries on the UN Global Plastics Treaty.
Answered by: Emma Hardy | Department: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 05 Feb 2025
The UK Government, at all stages of the INC process, has made it a priority to engage with a broad range of stakeholders across the plastics value chain, including trade associations representing fossil fuel and petrochemical industries.
We partnered with the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network to run the UK Treaty Dialogues ahead of each round of negotiations, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders to help us understand the variety of views on the draft treaty.
Asked by: Richard Burgon | 18 Nov 2024 | Written questions | Answered | House of Commons | 14660
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the potential impact on greenhouse gas emissions of global adoption of the Bridge to Busan Declaration approach to the Global Plastics Treaty.
Answered by: Emma Hardy | Department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 27 Nov 2024
The UK is working closely with international counterparts to secure an ambitious treaty which covers the full lifecycle of plastics. Action to reduce the consumption and production of plastics will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The UK is a member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, a group of over 60 countries calling for an ambitious and effective treaty that will end plastic pollution by 2040, and is one of 42 countries that have signed the Bridge to Busan Declaration, a declaration which makes the case for an ambitious treaty that includes upstream measures to ensure sustainable consumption and production of primary plastic polymers.
Plastics: Consumption and Production
Asked by: Sarah Dyke | 13 Nov 2024 | Written questions | Answered | House of Commons | 14244
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of levels of international funding needed to support new financial mechanisms that would be required under the Global Plastics Treaty.
Answered by: Emma Hardy | Department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 20 Nov 2024
The Government is committed to playing a leading role at the forthcoming fifth intergovernmental negotiating committee to ensure an effective plastic pollution treaty is agreed which addresses the full lifecycle of plastics.
Funding will be needed from all sources, public and private, to support an effective treaty and should leverage synergies with funding to support other global environmental challenges. The level of funding will depend on the outcomes of negotiations on control measures and the associated assessments of the support required for their implementation.show related items (1)
Asked by: Alex Easton | 8 Nov 2024 | Written questions | Answered | House of Commons | 13352
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on (a) chemical recycling and (b) the mass balance approach at the INC5 negotiations for the UN Global Plastics Treaty.
Answered by: Emma Hardy | Department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 28 Nov 2024
At the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a new UN Plastic Pollution Treaty, the UK will align with our domestic policy on any provisions related to chemical recycling.
The UK recognises that chemical recycling technologies can offer a complementary route to support the transition towards a circular economy, where mechanical recycling is unfeasible or uneconomic and where this waste may otherwise be incinerated.
Our domestic policy will inform our position on any provisions related to chemical recycling, including the mass balance approach, that are negotiated at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a new UN Plastics Pollution Treaty.