Governing Plastics Network

Updates and insights from the war against plastic in seven developing nations

After initial disagreement, countries agree on a path forward as INC-5 kicks off

Day 1 of the final round of plastic treaty negotiations saw old rivalries coming to the fore, with countries impatient for progress towards a high-ambition treaty and the so-called like-minded group, who oppose legally binding measures and curbs on plastic manufacturing, combining their tried and tested tactics with new strategies to get the treaty they […]


Delegates gather in Busan for INC-5 with a clear mission but uncertainty about how it can be achieved 

Tomorrow talks resume in the UN negotiations to forge the first global treaty on plastics. Sam Winton will be there to report on every stage of what promises to be a critical week. Delegates have seven days in Busan to agree a treaty equal to the task of turning the tide on plastic pollution, but […]


INC-4 concludes with late night crisis talks delivering a mandate for intersessional work but at a significant cost

The fourth round of UN global plastics treaty negotiations end with some progress, but not enough to deliver the ambitious treaty the world needs in the allotted time if a vocal minority of oil-producing countries continue to undermine any attempt to discuss upstream measures that might threaten their profits.  Sam Winton breaks down the options […]


Line by line negotiations commence as the clock ticks down on INC-4

With the end of the fourth round of UN plastics treaty talks in sight, the focus is on forging each provision of the treaty, line by line and word by word, but progress is slow thanks to delaying tactics calculated avoid having to discuss upstream measures. Sam Winton explains why the devil isn’t just in […]


Progress being made but delegates are beginning to feel the effects of long hours

At the UN plastic treaty talks, negotiation fatigue is beginning to set in, sub-groups are getting down down to the nitty-gritty of hammering out the provisions, and Japan plays a wildcard – but what would its “whole of society” approach mean in practice? Sam Winton provides an insider’s view of the issues that will decide […]


Substantive discussions commence but deep divisions are present on many provisions of the text

On days two and three of talks, delegates clash over the merits of mandatory vs voluntary extended producer responsibility, and does the “full life cycle of plastic” refer to the full life cycle of plastic or just the downstream phase? Sam Winton explains how these issues hark back to established rivalries between high and low […]


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