The Ocean Cleanup has expressed deep concern over the collapse of negotiations at the resumed fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), warning that the failure to reach agreement threatens the global fight against plastic pollution.
The talks, held this week, stretched late into Thursday night and continued into the early hours of Friday, but ended without consensus.
The outcome leaves the future of a binding global plastics treaty uncertain, with parties now expected to reconvene at a later date.
“With major divisions remaining, there was no consensus, and therefore no treaty,” the organization said in a statement, describing the stalemate as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at risk.”
Plastic pollution continues to devastate marine ecosystems worldwide, particularly in coastal regions of Africa and the Global South, where waste management systems are already under strain.
Environmental experts warn that every delay in global action allows more plastic to enter rivers and oceans, further endangering biodiversity and human health.
While acknowledging the complexity of building global consensus, The Ocean Cleanup stressed that the stakes remain high “for our health, our ocean, and our future.” The group called on negotiators to return to the table with “renewed resolve” and a shared commitment to ambitious solutions.
The organization, which operates in multiple continents including Africa, said it would continue its mission to remove existing plastic pollution from oceans and rivers. However, it emphasised that clean-up efforts alone cannot solve the crisis without a strong, enforceable global agreement.
“We urge negotiators to return to the table with renewed resolve. To truly end plastic pollution, we need global cooperation and a global treaty,” the statement added.
Marine scientists say that without urgent intervention, plastic waste in oceans could triple by 2040, with devastating consequences for fisheries, tourism, and livelihoods across Africa’s coastal communities.
The Ocean Cleanup, known for pioneering technologies to extract plastic from marine environments, has warned that the absence of an agreement could undermine years of momentum built toward addressing the crisis at its source.
By Dare Akogun
