The Road to Plastic Pollution: Progress and Challenges in Busan

The fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastics Pollution (INC-PP) was held in Busan, South Korea, from November 25 to the early hours of December 2, 2024, with more than 1,400 negotiators from 178 member states and more than 2,300 representatives from other organizations. While greater consensus was reached on the structure and elements of the instrument, differences remained on key issues such as the production and management of plastics and the provision of financial support to developing countries, which ultimately did not lead to agreement, and it was decided that a resumed session would be held at a later date in 2025.