Plastic pollution talks in disarray as nations reject draft treaty
Some countries blasted the lack of legally binding action, while oil-producing states say the text goes too far
Attempts to finalise a landmark treaty combating plastic pollution descended into disarray on the penultimate day on Wednesday as dozens of countries rejected outright the latest draft text, leaving the talks in limbo.
With some 30 hours left to seal a deal among the 184 countries gathered at the United Nations in Geneva, states lined up to slam the proposed text put forward by talks chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso.
The larger bloc of more ambitious countries blasted the dearth of legally binding action, saying that the draft text was the lowest common denominator and would reduce the treaty to a toothless waste-management agreement.
But oil-producing states from across the aisle said that the text went too far for their liking, crossing their red lines too and not going far enough in reducing the scope of what the treaty should be about.
The talks towards striking an international, legally binding instrument on tackling plastic pollution opened on August 5.
Five previous rounds over the past 2½ years failed to seal an agreement, including a supposedly final round in South Korea late last year.