Approximately 200 nations participating in a United Nations-sponsored meeting in Busan, South Korea, failed to reach an agreement to stop plastic pollution after two years of negotiations, though they secured guarantees for new talks next year. The negotiations aimed to create a legally binding agreement addressing plastic pollution throughout the material’s life cycle, including supply, which doubled between 2000 and 2019, use, and disposal. Progress was blocked by a small group of mainly oil-producing nations, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, who opposed new restrictions, arguing that restrictions on production and chemicals were outside the group’s mandate. “A treaty that … … Continue reading Global Plastic Treaty Blocked: 200 Nations Fail to Act as Microplastics Surge and Output Hits 736 Million Tons by 2040