Recent discussions surrounding the United Nations’ long-awaited treaty on plastic pollution have sparked significant concern among experts and environmental organisations. The latest draft of the agreement, released following informal negotiations held in Nairobi from 30 June to 3 July, appears to be less ambitious than its predecessors, raising alarms about the potential implications for public health and environmental sustainability.
Stagnation in Progress
Diplomats gathered in Nairobi with the intention of revitalising the negotiations that faltered in Geneva in 2025. Under the leadership of Julio Cordano, the Chilean ambassador to the UN, the aim was to create a functional and legally binding international framework to combat plastic pollution. However, the newly published draft has been met with criticism for its lack of substantial advancements. “This document remains largely unchanged from the previous iteration,” lamented Andrés del Castillo, a senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law. He noted that the draft retained numerous unresolved issues, particularly regarding production and health, which are crucial for a robust treaty.
The draft has been described by Cordano as an “informal, evolving reference document,” suggesting that while there is a commitment to engage, the path forward remains uncertain.
Health at Risk
One of the most pressing concerns highlighted by public health experts is the treaty’s ambiguous stance on human health. Megan Deeney, a research fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, pointed out that references to human health appear only nine times within the substantive articles of the draft, with seven of those references bracketed—indicating disagreement among member states. This raises the possibility that vital health protections could be entirely omitted as negotiations progress.
The potential consequences of ignoring health implications in the treaty are vast. With plastic pollution linked to numerous health risks, including endocrine disruption and increased cancer rates, the need for comprehensive protective measures is critical. Yet, the current draft appears to prioritise environmental concerns over human health, a perilous oversight according to many experts.
The Challenge of Consensus
The negotiations have underscored the difficulties inherent in reaching a consensus within the UN framework, which requires unanimous agreement from all participating countries. Del Castillo has called for alternative pathways to decision-making when consensus cannot be achieved, cautioning that the current model risks perpetuating the inertia that has historically hindered climate action. The divide between nations advocating for stricter production controls and those resistant to such measures—primarily oil and plastic-producing countries—has led to frustration among NGOs, some of whom have expressed a loss of faith in the negotiating process.
As the next round of negotiations is scheduled for March 2027, there is a palpable sense of urgency to address not only the mechanisms for reducing plastic production but also to confront the underlying issues related to fossil fuel dependency that fuel the plastic crisis.
The Bigger Picture
Environmental advocates are increasingly vocal about what Fabienne McLellan of OceanCare terms “the elephant in the room”: the unchecked production of plastic derived from fossil fuels. The intersection of plastic pollution and climate change remains largely unaddressed in the current discussions. McLellan warns that without acknowledging the source of plastic pollution, the treaty risks becoming merely a “waste-management” framework that fails to tackle the root causes of the crisis.
The lobbying efforts from the fossil fuel and plastics industries further complicate the negotiations, as these entrenched interests often resist efforts to implement stringent production limits. The potential for a treaty that does not adequately address these concerns poses a significant threat to both environmental and public health.
Why it Matters
The unfolding negotiations around the UN plastic treaty represent a critical juncture in the global fight against plastic pollution. With public health and environmental sustainability hanging in the balance, the lack of ambition in the current draft is alarming. If countries do not take decisive action to integrate meaningful health protections and address the root causes of plastic pollution, we risk not only exacerbating environmental degradation but also endangering the wellbeing of future generations. The world must hold its leaders accountable to ensure that this treaty evolves into a robust framework capable of fostering genuine change.
