Why INC‑5.2 in Geneva Matters and Why Leaders Should Care?

In March 2022, the UN Environment Assembly made history by mandating negotiators to create a legally binding global plastics treaty. This wasn’t a symbolic gesture. It was a structural pivot: plastics would be addressed across their entire life cycle, from design and production to disposal.

But despite four INC sessions between 2022 and 2024, plastic pollution has continued to rise. INC‑5 in Busan closed without agreement on the final text. Now, delegates meet again from August 5–14, 2025 in Geneva, following regional consultations on August 4.

This next phase is critical.

Clear Language Drives Real Change: Diplomatic drafts often use soft qualifiers like “may,” “should,” and “encourage.” Geneva needs clear, enforceable commitments: caps on production, phase-outs of single-use plastics, and minimum reuse targets. Policies succeed when their language is specific and binding.

Implementation Requires Equity: Negotiations aren’t only about rules, they are about people. Waste collectors, informal workers, and frontline communities must be embedded in the treaty, not treated as an afterthought. INC‑5.2 is expected to put a stronger focus on equity, gender, health, and civil society participation.

A Global Hub of Action: Geneva will be more than a venue. Across the city, art installations, science dialogues, finance roundtables, and leadership forums will unfold in parallel. These informal spaces help amplify the treaty’s formal negotiations and build broader momentum.

A Leader’s Checklist for INC‑5.2

Here are five focus areas to watch closely in Geneva, and why they matter:

Production Limits: Setting limits on how much plastic can be produced is essential to reduce pollution at the source. Expect discussions on capping future production volumes.

Full Life-Cycle Approach: Addressing plastic waste requires looking at the entire journey — design, chemical composition, and recycling. Negotiators will explore draft provisions on product design standards and chemical transparency.

Recognition of Informal Workers: Many of the world’s recycling systems rely on informal workers. Including them formally helps build both inclusion and effectiveness. Geneva will feature negotiations on integrating informal recycling sectors into official frameworks.

Health and Climate Linkages: Plastic pollution affects more than waste streams, it also impacts health and contributes to climate change. Watch for sessions that connect plastics to the Sustainable Development Goals on health (SDG3) and climate action (SDG13).

Financing and Implementation: Ambitious goals need funding and support to become reality. Geneva will bring debates on how to fund action, set up Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems, and strengthen technical assistance.

What Comes Next and How You Can Act

Listen closely: Monitor the “Chair’s text” for clear, accountable language.

Elevate diverse voices: Support representation from waste picker groups, scientists, and community advocates both inside negotiation rooms and at parallel events.

Leverage Geneva’s momentum: Engage with side events from dialogues on plastics and AI to leadership panels to build alliances.

Align your strategies: Use INC‑5.2 as a pivot point to align national or corporate targets with emerging treaty standards.

A Shift in Perspective

INC‑5.2 is not just another conference. It is a defining moment. The decisions made in Geneva will shape how nations, industries, and communities tackle plastic pollution for decades to come.

At Plastics For Change, we believe a meaningful treaty must keep human dignity and inclusion at its core. As leaders, it is our responsibility to make sure policies do more than set targets, they deliver lasting change for people and the planet.