On November 24, 2025, the Asian Center for WTO and International Health Law and Policy (ACWH) of the College of Law, National Taiwan University (NTU), hosted a seminar titled “International Plastic Production and Pollution: Seeking to Create a Global Plastic Treaty.” Prof. Gerry Nagtzaam, an international environmental lawyer specializing in treaty negotiation, drafting, and the development of decarbonization frameworks, introduced one of the most urgent yet historically under-addressed global environmental issues: plastic production and pollution. His talk provided an overview of what plastics are, why they matter—particularly from human-health and environmental perspectives—and the current status and future outlook of negotiations toward an international plastics treaty.

The seminar began with opening remarks by Associate Professor Yueh-Ping (Alex) Yang, Director of ACWH. Professor Yang expressed his appreciation to Prof. Nagtzaam for speaking at the event and introduced his distinguished professional background. He also encouraged participants to actively engage and ask questions to gain deeper insights into this emerging area of international rulemaking.

In his lecture, Prof. Nagtzaam first traced the origins of the plastic treaty negotiations, noting the projected dramatic increase in global plastic use and the uncertain yet potentially severe impacts of plastic pollution on human health. In response to these concerns, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopted declarations in 2014 and 2016 acknowledging the urgency of the plastics crisis and calling on countries to begin negotiations for a global plastics treaty.

Prof. Nagtzaam then reflected on the challenges and difficulties in achieving a legally binding international instrument. Although the UNEA adopted a resolution in 2022 to “end” plastic pollution and established an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) tasked with drafting a legally binding treaty by the end of 2024, reaching consensus has proven complex. Negotiations have stalled due to a structural divide between two opposing groups: the High Ambition Coalition (including the EU, Japan, Canada, and others), which advocates for a strong, comprehensive treaty aimed at effectively addressing the plastic crisis, and the “Like-Minded Group” (including China, Russia, the United States, and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), which opposes binding regulations and favors a weaker, voluntary, or narrowly scoped treaty to protect economic interests. As negotiations failed to reach consensus during this year’s INC-5.2 meeting in Geneva, the process remains in limbo. Nevertheless, Prof. Nagtzaam emphasized the importance of establishing a multilateral legal framework capable of addressing the full life cycle of plastics to end plastic pollution.

Discussant Mao-Wei Lo, Assistant Professor at the College of Law, National Taiwan University, remarked that Prof. Nagtzaam’s presentation offered a comprehensive depiction of the urgency and current dynamics of the international plastics treaty negotiations. Prof. Lo highlighted the unique characteristics of the “lifecycle approach” in plastic governance and the geopolitical tensions that shape the negotiation process. He also reflected on Prof. Nagtzaam’s insightful emphasis on the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities, which aims to provide financial and technical support for developing countries. As noted by Prof. Nagtzaam, this mechanism will be key to achieving success in future negotiations on the international plastics treaty.

ACWH extends its sincere appreciation to Prof. Nagtzaam for his enlightening and inspiring lecture.