Environmental treaties are paralysed — here’s how we can do better

On August 15 in Geneva, negotiations for a global treaty to reduce plastic pollution failed due to disagreements among governments on proposed articles. This collapse highlights broader issues with consensus-driven environmental treaty processes, which often lead to ineffective action. The article suggests establishing a standing process by international organizations to evaluate and recommend reforms for existing treaties. Current institutions are described as paralyzed, unable to address the scale of environmental crises despite ongoing efforts. Examples include the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, both failing to meet their objectives due to design flaws in implementation mechanisms.

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