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With plastic treaty in limbo, Mongabay speaks to top negotiator Julio Cordano
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Global negotiators are still struggling to agree on a treaty to fight plastic pollution, with new chair Julio Cordano saying countries must find common ground rather than have a solution forced on them. This matters because plastic waste keeps piling up in the environment—breaking down into the microplastics now found in our food, water, and even our bodies—and delays in reaching a global agreement mean it could be years before meaningful limits on plastic production and pollution take effect.
You can’t dictate a solution to the worldwide plastic pollution crisis, according to Julio Cordano, the new chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for a global plastic treaty. He said consensus will be needed. Cordano was elected INC chair in February 2026. That appointment came after INC repeatedly failed to meet its […]
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Navigating the plastic crisis
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Global talks meant to tackle plastic pollution have stalled, largely because countries are struggling to agree on shared goals amid political division. This matters for your health because plastic waste—including the microplastics turning up in our water, food, and even our bodies—will keep piling up until nations find common ground and commit to real action together.
We need a global agreement to safeguard human health from plastic pollution
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This commentary argues that unresolved disagreements among member states are hindering progress toward a UN global plastics treaty that could protect human and environmental health. The authors call for resolution of key disputes to advance international governance of plastic pollution across the full lifecycle.
Towards a global plastics treaty: Navigating policy preferences and economic interests
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Countries are negotiating a global treaty to fight plastic pollution, but this study finds a split: some nations want to limit plastic production itself, while others, often those with plastic manufacturing industries, prefer focusing only on waste cleanup. If cleanup-only approaches win out, plastic production keeps growing, meaning more plastic and microplastics entering our food, water, and bodies over time.
Marine Plastic Pollution: What Will Happen to the Global Plastics Treaty?
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In 2025, world leaders failed to agree on a binding treaty to limit plastic production and phase out harmful chemicals in plastics, largely due to pushback from oil and gas-producing countries and industry lobbyists. This matters for your health because without limits on plastic production, exposure to plastic pollution and the chemicals and microplastics that come from it, found in our water, food, and even our bodies, will likely keep increasing. The paper argues that stronger, fairer global rules are still urgently needed to curb this growing health and environmental threat.
Desafios e perspectivas no enfrentamento da poluição marinha por plástico sob a ótica das negociações do acordo global juridicamente vinculante
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This research examined the prospects for tackling marine plastic pollution through negotiations on a globally legally binding plastic agreement under UNEP auspices. The study concluded that while the treaty represents a significant advance over existing fragmented frameworks, significant challenges remain due to contradictory options in the draft text and difficulties reaching global consensus on binding provisions.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.