Kenya Threatens to Walk Out of Plastics Treaty Talks in Explosive Geneva Showdown
With hours to go before the 10-day talks at the Palais des Nations in Geneva end, the divide over a global plastics treaty is as wide as ever. Across the meeting rooms, three words are on everyone’s lips — faith, hope and red lines.
The treaty process was launched in Nairobi three years ago with a 2024 deadline and has already stalled once, failing to deliver in Busan, South Korea.
Now many are pinning their hopes on Geneva as the last chance before the world finally agrees a legally binding deal to tackle plastic pollution, especially in the oceans.
On Wednesday night the second plenary session reviewed progress since the first meeting on August 9. Delegates debated the Chair’s draft text — a proposed framework for the treaty — but the positions remain far apart.
On one side is the High Ambition Coalition, including Kenya, pushing for stronger global commitments; on the other, oil and plastic producing countries, refusing to budge on their priorities.
Kenya’s Environment CS, Deborah Barasa, was frustrated saying the draft had been watered down to a national waste management plan with no global obligations. She lamented the removal of clauses that aligned with Kenya and Africa’s environmental interests.
Barasa reiterated Kenya’s request for Nairobi to host the treaty Secretariat and the first Conference of Parties at the UN Environment Programme headquarters. She said this would enhance Africa’s participation in global decision making and bring the treaty closer to the communities most affected by plastic pollution.
Despite the setbacks, Barasa said Kenya’s commitment remains firm. She highlighted the country’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy introduced in 2022 which makes manufacturers accountable for the waste they generate. She said a global treaty would reinforce such policies and provide resources for implementation.
Civil society groups were equally unimpressed with the revised text. The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) representing nations from the global south, condemned the negotiations for sidelining transparency, inclusivity and equity. GAIA Africa’s plastics program manager, Merissa Naidoo, said the process was catering to the interests of petrochemical states rather than public health or science.
From Fiji, Dr. Sivendra Michael warned that voluntary, country-led measures would undermine efforts to build a fair and effective global circular economy. He called for binding limits on plastic production and financial support for developing countries to transition to sustainable alternatives.Despite the heat and long hours — some delegates have been on the road for days — Michael still has faith. But if nothing happens in Geneva, we’ll delay again.
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Kenya Threatens to Walk Out of Plastics Treaty Talks in Explosive Geneva Showdown