As world leaders meet in Geneva this week for what may be the final round of negotiations on a global plastic pollution treaty, WWF-Australia is urging the Australian government to step up and lead the charge for binding, science-based rules to curb plastic production and pollution.
The fifth and final session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), running from 5–14 August, represents what WWF describes as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to forge a legally binding global agreement to tackle plastic pollution. Failure to reach consensus, the organisation warns, would allow plastic waste to triple by 2040.
Nicole Forrester, WWF-Australia’s chief regenerative officer, said Australia has a critical role to play in ensuring the treaty delivers real outcomes.
“Australia has an opportunity to lead with integrity and ambition to secure a treaty to end the plastic pollution crisis. If we’re serious about regenerating nature, we must shift to a circular economy where plastic stays in use and out of the environment,” she said.
The call comes amid fears that a small number of countries may again block progress by refusing to support binding targets. To overcome potential deadlock, WWF is calling on Australia and other “ambitious majority” nations to explore all diplomatic avenues – including voting on a treaty text or forming a coalition to move forward outside the INC process if necessary.
Malene Hand, WWF-Australia’s No Plastic in Nature policy manager, said the time for compromise was over.
“The majority of countries want to take action. This is their last chance to deliver a treaty that protects people and nature,” she said. “Otherwise, they risk going home with a weak, toothless treaty that will only lock in harm for generations to come.”
Australia is among the world’s highest generators of single-use plastic waste per capita, with an estimated 140,000 tonnes of plastic leaking into the local environment each year.
WWF’s renewed push is backed by findings from a new report co-authored with the University of Birmingham, Plastics, Health, and One Planet, which collates nearly 200 peer-reviewed studies on the risks plastics pose to human and environmental health. The report links exposure to microplastics and additives to endocrine disruption, hormone-related cancers, fertility issues and chronic respiratory diseases.
Hand said the precautionary principle must be invoked to safeguard public health.
“The serious risks plastic poses to human health and the environment demand an urgent global response. The longer we delay, the greater the costs,” she said.
WWF is calling for the treaty to include global bans on the most harmful plastics and chemicals, mandatory design requirements to support a non-toxic circular economy, financial and technical support for developing countries, and clear mechanisms for monitoring and strengthening the treaty over time.
“This is the moment to be bold,” said Forrester. “Cutting plastic pollution will protect ecosystems, empower communities and help build a future where people and nature thrive together.”
