Countries clash over plastic treaty as deadline approaches in South Korea

Negotiators at the UN meeting in Busan, South Korea, are struggling to finalize a global treaty on plastic pollution. Over 100 countries support reducing plastic production, while a few oil-producing nations prefer focusing only on plastic waste management. The meeting, which is the fifth and final session, has seen significant disagreement. A proposal from Panama aims to set global production reduction targets, but some countries oppose this approach and seek to avoid production limits. As the deadline approaches, tensions are rising. Fiji's chief negotiator criticized nations not contributing to the treaty's goals, highlighting the divide between supporters of ambitious measures and those resisting change.