Plastic pollution, a ubiquitous environmental crisis, is escalating at an alarming rate, with global plastic production estimated to double by 2045, and a staggering 79% of plastics ending up in landfills or the environment. This urgency prompted the UN Environment Assembly to adopt a landmark resolution, resolution 5/14 in March 2022, leading to the adoption of five (5) sessions of an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC) – the Global Plastics Treaty (GPT).

Drawing on a state-of-the-art review of relevant literature, case studies, and reports, this policy brief examines the significance, challenges, and prospects of the GPT in addressing the plastics crisis. On the upside, the GPT emphasizes capacity building, global cooperation, and a holistic approach encompassing prevention, mitigation, and removal, and stresses stakeholder inclusivity and consensus building. However, the path to implementing the GPT might face challenges, including the voluntary nature of state actions to reduce pollution, financial constraints for treaty implementation, and potential interference from major corporate polluters, creating a case of conflict of interest in negotiating rooms.

Therefore, we back the need for a coherent, legally binding global response to supplement existing yet fragmented legal and policy approaches to plastic pollution management but also call for setting ambitious targets and ensuring compliance to achieve tangible outcomes, advocating for mandatory actions, securing adequate and sustainable funding, minimizing corporate influence, and leveraging on the impact of NGOs at the grassroots.