Earth Today | Local environmental organisation flags lack of global ambition to end plastics pollution
Published:Thursday | August 21, 2025 | 12:16 AM
THE JAMAICA Environment Trust (JET) has noted its own disappointment with the failure of countries to arrive at an agreed plastics treaty, following the latest round of negotiations, which ended in Geneva last week.
According to JET’s chief executive officer, Dr Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie, the lack of the desired progress is “a sobering reminder of how far global ambition still lags behind the urgency of the plastics crisis”.
“Jamaica has taken steps to phase out certain single-use plastics. Cleanups, public education, and recycling are also under way, but these efforts, while important, cannot solve the problem alone. Individuals can and should take action to reduce their plastic use, but the real solution lies further upstream,” she told The Gleaner.
“We need bold, binding measures to limit plastic production and phase out toxic chemicals, addressing pollution at its source, not just its symptoms. We see firsthand how plastics threaten our coastlines, ecosystems, and public health. Yet despite mounting evidence and widespread public support, powerful interests continue to block progress on a treaty that could have delivered real change,” she added.
Rodriguez-Moodie said the failure of the second part of the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5.2), held in Geneva, Switzerland from August 5 to 14, was a missed opportunity.
It was missed opportunity, she explained, not only to protect vulnerable communities but also marine life and future generations. Still, given what is at stake, she has encouraged all stakeholders to continue in the efforts to end plastics pollution.
“For small island developing states, plastic pollution is a daily threat to livelihoods, food security, and cultural heritage, despite contributing little to its production, we bear the brunt of its impacts. So, we must continue to fight against plastic pollution despite these setbacks,” the JET boss noted.
HARD WORK AHEAD
Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), convener of the INC, herself appeared optimistic as to what may be possible in the effort to end plastics pollution in the coming months and years.
“Everybody came here with the intention to get the deal done. However, it is clear that we are living in an era of significant complexity … of economic challenges and obviously multilateral complexity. But despite those profound challenges that were journeyed, despite the disappointment that we all leave with, we have to accept that significant progress was made. Progress was made in that redlines were clarified, progress was made in that countries discussed, progress was made because people are demanding a treaty,” she told the media at the close of the negotiations.
“Now there is a lot of hard work ahead. We did not get where we want, but people want a deal. Everyone has to understand that this work will not stop because plastics pollution will not stop. We at UNEP are here to support this process and we will not stop. We will continue to engage in the multilateral process as member states desire and we will also engage at the ground level with member states who so request in terms of programmatic support for enabling enhanced management and an end to plastics pollution, including in the marine environment,” she added.
INC-5.2 was held on Geneva from August 5 to 14. It was its sixth round of negotiations, hosted in line with a UN Environment Assembly Resolution, adopted in March 2022, which stipulated that the INC develop the instrument to end plastics pollution “based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic, including its production, design, and disposal”.