UN Ocean Summit

UN Ocean Conference: 95 Countries Support Global Treaty to Cap Plastic Production

At the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, environment ministers from 95 countries issued a powerful declaration in favor of a legally binding global treaty to limit plastic production. The statement represents a critical turning point in international efforts to combat the growing plastic pollution crisis threatening the world’s oceans and ecosystems.

A Wake-Up Call Ahead of Final Treaty Negotiations

This joint declaration, delivered just months before the final round of plastics treaty negotiations set for August in Geneva, calls for strict caps on plastic production and the phase-out of toxic chemicals used in plastics manufacturing.

“This declaration sends a strong and clear message: we will not give up,” said France’s environment minister, Agnès Pannier-Runacher. “We must reduce our production and consumption of plastics to protect the planet.”

The move follows the collapse of previous talks in Busan, South Korea in 2024, where negotiators failed to agree on mechanisms to stop the estimated millions of tons of plastic waste entering the environment annually.

Why Capping Plastic Production Is Essential

Many high-ambition nations have long pushed for the Global Plastics Treaty to go beyond recycling and waste management. Instead, they demand enforceable limits on the creation of new plastic, most of which is made from fossil fuel-derived chemicals.

Opposition has come primarily from oil-producing and petrochemical-exporting nations, which prefer a treaty focused on better waste management rather than limiting supply.

“Caps on plastic production are necessary to address the root cause of the plastic crisis,” said Mexico’s environment minister, Alicia Bárcena. “Recycling alone is not enough.”

According to the OECD, global plastic production reached 460 million tonnes in 2019, doubling since 2000. That number could triple by 2060 if urgent measures aren’t implemented.

Civil Society and Environmental Groups Applaud the Call to Action

The London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), along with more than 230 civil society and environmental organizations, endorsed the declaration.

“This is not just a wake-up call — it’s an emergency siren,” said Christina Dixon, EIA’s Ocean Campaign Lead. “We fully support governments sending this signal ahead of the critical August negotiations.”

Greenpeace also backed the push, emphasizing that real progress depends on reducing plastic production at its source.

“Governments are finally saying the quiet part out loud: we cannot end plastic pollution without cutting plastic production,” said Graham Forbes, Greenpeace’s Head of Delegation for the Global Plastics Treaty talks. “We need binding global caps and strong rules to phase out toxic plastics.”

Plastic Pollution: A Global Health and Environmental Crisis

The declaration also calls for the elimination of “chemicals of concern” found in plastics — substances linked to hormone disruption, cancer, and immune suppression in both wildlife and humans. Today, microplastics have been detected:

• On the summit of Mount Everest

• In the deepest parts of the ocean

• Inside human blood and breastmilk

With only 9% of global plastic being recycled, an estimated 2,000 garbage trucks’ worth of plastic waste enters oceans, rivers, and lakes every day.

“The world is drowning in plastic,” said Ana Rocha from GAIA, a global alliance of environmental justice groups. “We are encouraged by the united front forming against petrochemical interests trying to weaken this treaty.”

What’s Next for the Global Plastics Treaty?

The final round of negotiations for the Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution will take place in Geneva in August 2025. Experts warn that political declarations, while symbolic, must be backed by concrete, legally binding measures.

“We welcome the momentum, but member states must move beyond vague promises,” said Andres del Castillo, senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law. “In Geneva, actions must speak louder than words — especially when standing up to fossil fuel and petrostate interests.”

Conclusion: A Turning Point in the Fight Against Plastic Pollution

The global consensus forming at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference sends a powerful message: the time for bold action on plastic pollution is now. With negotiations nearing the final stage, the world is watching to see if governments will deliver a treaty strong enough to protect both people and the planet.