GENEVA – The head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Inger Andersen, says countries can still agree on a major treaty to stop plastic pollution, even after recent talks collapsed and the chair resigned.
Despite deep divisions—some nations want to limit plastic production while oil producers prefer focusing on waste management—Andersen insists no one has given up. “No-one has walked away,” she said.
Plastic pollution is everywhere, from mountain peaks to ocean depths. Over 400 million tonnes of plastic are made each year, mostly single-use, and less than 10% gets recycled.
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Six rounds of talks since 2022 have failed to reach an agreement. The latest session in Geneva ended without progress, and chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso has stepped down amid controversy.
Andersen called allegations of UNEP staff interference “outrageous” and said they are under UN review.
She remains positive that the treaty can be achieved soon. “This is totally doable,” Andersen said. “We just need to keep at it.”