Addressing the Plastics Crisis from Geneva: Meeting on Activities in the Margins of Plastics Treaty INC-5.2

About this Event

The adoption of a historic resolution at the United Nations Environment Assembly in 2022 set up the path to a global treaty to end plastic pollution. The intergovernmental negotiating committee to develop the international legally binding instrument that was established following the adoption of the resolution will be resuming its fifth session (INC-5.2) from 5 to 14 August 2025 in Geneva, at the Palais des Nations, the heart of multilateral Geneva. 

Activities organized on the sidelines of the INC sessions play an important role in shaping the global response to plastic pollution. Observers, alongside Member States, have announced or soon will announce their plans to organize parallel events and other gatherings to build momentum around the importance of the negotiations.

In the lead-up to INC-5.2, this special session of the Geneva Beat Plastic Pollution Dialogues will feature the Swiss Ambassador for the Environment, the Mayor of Geneva, the artist Benjamin Von Wong and other leading figures to highlight activities taking place in the margins of the negotiations and showcase the engagement of Geneva and beyond in addressing the plastics crisis.

Information shared in this event will be highlighted in a page dedicated to the activities organized in the margins of the Plastics Treaty INC-5.2, that provides an overview of the initiatives taking place in the margins of the formal conference and negotiations, as well as useful information for delegates.

Speakers

By order of intervention and will include:

H.E. Amb. Felix WERTLI

Ambassador for the Environment, Switzerland

H.E. Alfonso GOMEZ

Mayor of Geneva

Anh Thu DUONG

Co-Director, Global Cities Hub

Benjamin VON WONG

Artivist

Charlotte STALDER

Environmental Consultant, EA - Earth Action

GEN Team

Highlights

Video

Summary

H.E. Amb. Felix WERTLI  | Ambassador for the Environment, Switzerland

• The continued support of Geneva, both the City and Canton, is crucial and highly valued at this critical time for multilateral efforts, particularly in the lead-up to INC-5.2. Their role goes beyond logistical assistance, offering vital backing for International Geneva during a challenging moment for global cooperation.
• The current phase in the negotiations represents a significant opportunity to demonstrate that multilateralism can still function effectively and deliver concrete solutions to pressing global challenges such as plastic pollution.
• Stakeholders have played a foundational role throughout the entire process leading up to INC-5.2, having contributed critical scientific analysis, innovative ideas for addressing plastic pollution, advocacy on key issues, and public engagement that helped build awareness and political momentum.
• The multistakeholder forum on August 4th in the Palais des Nations will provide a space for stakeholders to exchange perspectives with each other and with party representatives, offering up-to-date insights, new concepts, and clear expectations ahead of the final round of negotiations.
• The goal for INC-5.2 is to finalize a legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution. Hosting the session in Geneva, Switzerland is committed to ensuring optimal conditions for negotiation and success in this final stretch.
• A successful outcome at INC-5.2 hinges on three essential elements: commitment, effectiveness, and collaboration.
• Without strong commitment, the opportunity to conclude negotiations in August and secure a meaningful treaty may be lost. Commitment means upholding the shared responsibility to deliver a treaty that addresses the full life cycle of plastics. While recognizing socio-economic concerns, the treaty must be comprehensive, timely, and guided by sustainability principles, with all countries and stakeholders expected to contribute actively.
• Effectiveness involves ensuring the treaty delivers real-world impact, combining global legally binding obligations across the plastic life cycle with a robust implementation framework. Key features must include the reduction and elimination of problematic plastic products (including hazardous chemicals), increased transparency across value chains, and a major push to scale up circular economy solutions.
• Collaboration is critical due to the multifaceted nature of plastic pollution, which intersects with human health, the environment, human rights, labor, and trade. Geneva’s institutional ecosystem, comprising organizations like the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, the International Labour Organization, and MEA secretariats, uniquely positions it to support both the negotiation and future implementation of the treaty.

• Geneva’s value lies not just in its location but in its dynamic ecosystem of permanent missions, NGOs, multilateral institutions, academic centers, and side events that enrich the negotiation environment and foster long-term collaboration across sectors. Support from local actors, including the city of Geneva, artist Benjamin Von Wong, and national and civil society organizations, helps create vital connections between the negotiations and the broader public, ensuring that people understand and engage with the process and its goals.

H.E. Alfonso GOMEZ | Mayor of Geneva

• This negotiation is important because plastic pollution has reached unprecedented levels, particularly in the oceans and on the ocean floor, and in mountain snow, despite clean-up efforts. Plastic is everywhere: in the air we breathe, on our plates, in the products we eat, and ultimately in our bodies and our blood.
• Plastic is contributing to the acceleration of the climate crisis. Humans have become sick from plastic, consuming it irrationally.
• To combat this pollution, action is needed at all levels, locally and internationally.
• The city of Geneva is confronted with this waste in parks, on streets, in household garbage, and also in Lake Leman, where a hundred tons are collected each year, a proportion that has doubled in just a few years.
• Plastic has become a symbol of excessive consumption and the neglect of the planet. Faced with this scourge, the city of Geneva has taken measures since 2020, such as banning single-use plastics, such as bags, straws, cups, plates, and cutlery for activities taking place in the public domain within the Geneva administration. It was not easy to implement this ban at the local level, given the considerable resistance it encountered. Fines of up to 100 francs have been introduced if the interdiction is not respected. Since April 2024, the city has required the use of reusable tableware for all events held in public spaces and administrative buildings (sports centers, museums, etc.).
• The city of Geneva is aiming to transition from the current linear consumption model to a more circular model in which resource waste is limited and environmental impact is minimized at all stages of the process: from production and distribution to consumption. The best plastic waste is the plastic waste that is not produced.
• The city is raising awareness of plastic pollution through campaigns to promote better disposal practices, but also by addressing consumption issues. It is also committed to the circular economy model with the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle, by supporting initiatives that promote this approach. The proliferation of eco-responsible products and services will develop new consumption habits.
• However, given the scale of the challenge, it is urgent to find other partners and take further action. A binding and, above all, ambitious international legal framework is needed. Without it, no intact terrestrial or marine ecosystems will remain.
• The rigorous work carried out within the framework of a historic treaty is to be commended and marks a fundamental paradigm shift. This highly equitable and effective treaty guarantees a fair and inclusive transition.
• Unfortunately, this treaty will not be enough, as recent years have shown that without strong and continuous mobilization of all local, international, and citizen actions, the objectives will not be achieved. This mobilization is essential and must continue and be strengthened despite the complicated times ahead for the future of the planet and humanity, without leaving behind a planet polluted by plastic. A healthier and more sustainable future is necessary not only for future generations, but also for the weakest and poorest, who have no choice but to consume in the way that is currently offered. 

Anh Thu DUONG | Co-Director, Global Cities Hub

• Action at the local level matters. Cities and local and subnational governments are often on the front lines of the plastic pollution crisis, first to experience its effects and key to addressing what is a global issue. Today, these governments also represent the coalition to end plastic pollution, an international effort with the goal of engaging at the INC to ensure local and subnational governments are recognized as key partners in the treaty.
• Global Cities Hub is an organization created by the City of Geneva with support from the Swiss Confederation and local authorities, with the following mission: connecting local and regional governments to international processes and promoting an urban perspective in global discussions, since « our future is urban. »
• Recognizing the urgency of plastic pollution, especially in cities that are both major consumers and primary victims of plastic waste, we formed a coalition with partners like IKEA, UCLG, Quebec, Catalonia, C40, Regions4, WWF, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Since then, the coalition has grown, gaining support from cities and regions across North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, all aligned with the coalition’s approach to tackling plastic pollution.
• The coalition’s goal is to influence the outcome of the intergovernmental treaty negotiations and ensure a strong treaty to curb plastic pollution. We call on states to explicitly acknowledge the role of local and regional governments in the treaty and to implement it through a whole-of-government approach, ensuring that all levels of government are involved.
• We urge states to engage their own local and regional governments in developing national plans, raising awareness, and changing public behavior, efforts that require time and broad participation. To support this, the coalition has submitted concrete language proposals to the Chair of INC-5.2 and has lobbied states to support language that reflects local and regional government needs.
• The coalition will continue its advocacy during the upcoming negotiations in Geneva, with many members attending in person and informal consultations planned nearby. They also encourage city and regional officials worldwide to continue lobbying their national governments for an ambitious treaty, one that addresses the full life cycle of plastics and provides the necessary means, resources, and capacities for cities and regions to take effective action against plastic pollution.

 Benjamin VON WONG | Artivist

• The purpose of my artworks is to ignite curiosity, which leads to conversation. When people ask, “What am I looking at?”, it opens a door to explain Benjamin’s work, such as a large-scale art installation made entirely from 168,000 single-use plastic straws, collected and cleaned over nine months, built inside a mall in Vietnam with the help of dozens of volunteers. For them, every project is a chance to engage the community; it’s not just about the artist but about collective participation.
• I have been working on plastic, with the support of volunteers, since 2016, combining art with science to visualize data and raise awareness. After learning that 75% of textiles come from fossil fuels and that washing clothes releases microfibers, we used art to interpret and communicate those issues emotionally and accessibly.
• Another piece represented the alarming statistic that every 60 seconds, a truckload of plastic enters the ocean (now worsened to two truckloads). They physically collected that amount to visualize the impact. Sometimes, fiction helps reveal truth more effectively, like placing a mermaid on 10,000 plastic bottles, which resonates more deeply than using a real person because it connects to our childhoods, dreams, and emotions.
• The work I create is not just about creating art; it is about sparking conversations. Occasionally, my pieces gain attention online and give people a new way to talk about issues they previously could not. This led to an ongoing question: How can I use art to raise awareness in the best way I know how?
• Over time, my practice evolved from photography to large-scale physical installations, requiring immense effort to collect, clean, and prepare plastic waste. These installations offer both visual impact and physical experiences, helping to highlight different dimensions of the story. But the speaker realized that raising public awareness alone was not enough; real change requires reaching people in power. This sparked a deeper motivation: How do you create art in the right place, at the right time, in front of the right people?
• This question led me to Nairobi, Kenya, where they hired 80 local women from the slums of Kibera. With the support of many volunteers, we collected and prepared three tons of plastic to build a giant, four-story faucet spewing plastic waste, installed on the front lawn of the United Nations. After a last-minute approval late on a Friday for a Sunday morning install, the team pulled it off. The installation stood during the major negotiation involving 1,500 delegates from 193 countries working on the global plastic treaty.
• Even if the resolution would have passed regardless; this one symbolic artwork united diverse actors, from nonprofits to corporations to governments, around a shared message: we must turn off the plastic tap. This experience raised a deeper question: Why aren’t there more environmental monuments?
• One recent project was at the UN Biodiversity Conference. Noting the lack of a symbol for biodiversity, despite its foundational importance, they envisioned « interconnection » as a metaphor. This took the form of a two-and-a-half-story Jenga-like tower, where each block represented an ecosystem, and animals inside symbolized mutual dependence. Built with community support, it gave 24,000 delegates from 196 countries a shared point of reflection.
• Art does not tell people what to believe or do. It simply presents something open to interpretation, creating space for dialogue. Regardless of one’s stance on change, the installations invite everyone into the conversation. That’s their core focus, not pushing a viewpoint, but bringing people together in divided spaces.
• These art installations are not just one-time pieces; they are meant to keep making an impact. For example, the biodiversity sculpture was donated to the Botanical Gardens of Cali, where 100,000 people see it each year, learn from it, and are reminded of why biodiversity matters. Similarly, I hope the artwork that will be in Place des Nations during INC-5.2 will serve an ongoing role.
• To build this new collaborative sculpture, I benefited from the help of various local organizations in Geneva. These projects require space, materials, volunteers, designers, local media, and massive coordination, mirroring the negotiation process itself: starting from an idea and manifesting it through conversation and collaboration.
• The new installation is a sculptural remix of Rodin’s The Thinker. In this version, the figure holds plastic in one hand and cradles a baby in the other, seated on Mother Earth, wrapped in vines and encircled by a large DNA strand. This represents why we are fighting plastic pollution: to protect human, environmental, and generational health. The sculpture will be built near the Broken Chair, facing the negotiation halls.
• The plastic element will come from the gradual accumulation of plastic waste around the sculpture during the two weeks of the negotiations, symbolizing the growing burden passed to future generations the longer the consensus is delayed.
• Everyone is invited to visit the installation after its scheduled unveiling on the 31st, and more importantly, to use it, talk in front of it, create content around it, bring others to engage with it, and use it to advocate for an ambitious plastic treaty.

Charlotte STALDER | Environmental Consultant, EA – Earth Action

• The Earth Action model is built around a dual nature, combining a research-based consultancy as the core engine of activity with a nonprofit arm dedicated to impact. This is visualized through the metaphor of a dandelion, where research and data form the center, consultancy work acts as the stem distributing actionable insights, and the resulting impact blooms as the flower, representing initiatives and real-world action driven by this structure.
• A wide array of initiatives has emerged from this core structure, including local-level lobbying efforts such as Swiss Plastic Action, a coalition of ten Swiss NGOs engaging in advocacy and policy influence at both national and local levels. At the global level, initiatives like the Plastic Footprint Network and Plastic Overshoot Day reflect broader ambitions to standardize data-driven action and increase public and institutional awareness.
• Engagement with multiple stakeholders is fundamental to achieving systemic change, illustrated through the bicycle model. The organization collaborates with a spectrum of actors, including academics, NGOs, regulators, and companies. Academics contribute through scientific committees, NGOs are empowered with methodologies and data, regulators are informed through the research produced, and companies are guided to measure and mitigate their plastic footprint through science-based approaches.
• The aim is to bridge the divide between public and private sectors by using shared knowledge, data exchange mechanisms, and policy or financial tools to synchronize stakeholder actions, just as two wheels must move together to keep a bicycle in motion. This coordinated approach is essential for transforming the system and ensuring sustained progress.
• Core expertise lies in plastic footprinting, having led the field since 2018 with the first methodology published in collaboration with IUCN. Research output is used to generate both awareness and actionable guidance, exemplified by the Plastics and Packaging Data Hub launched in 2021. This database includes information on plastic and non-plastic materials with end-of-life data, and is supported by both public and private funding, with access available for government, academic, and policy-making purposes.
• The Plastic Footprint Network, initiated in 2023, unites academics, practitioners, and brands to further develop standardized methods for plastic footprinting and mitigation. This collaborative effort strengthens consistency and credibility in approaches to managing plastic impacts globally.
• Plastic Overshoot Day, also launched in 2023 and inspired by Earth Overshoot Day, transforms complex data into a concept easily understood by the public. It marks the point in the year when global waste generation exceeds waste management capacity, helping to visualize the urgency of the plastic pollution issue in a relatable format.
• Over 15 research reports are publicly available, tracing back to the original plastic footprint methodology. This ongoing research serves as a knowledge base not only for action but also for participation in global policy spaces like the INC negotiations, which have been actively followed and supported since their early stages in Paris.
• Continued support for the INC process includes calls for a strong, ambitious, and legally binding treaty. Contributions to this session will include both informal and formal events, such as a Plastic Network get-together on August 5th and a collaborative event with the World Bank, Repurpose Global, and Vera on August 6th. The latter will explore how impact accounting and outcomes-based financing can attract new investment for upstream solutions, including the presentation of a draft methodology on upstream impact accounting.
• Details of these events will be made available soon on the Geneva Environment Network webpage. The approach aims to keep building momentum by connecting data, financing, and stakeholder collaboration to unlock scalable solutions for pollution mitigation.

Tour de table

Henrique PACINI | UN Trade and Development

• UNCTAD will host a full day of activities on 4 August 2025 as pre-events to the INC negotiations. There will be four sessions, all held on the same day and in the same room (H-Building, Room H-207-208-209) at the Palais des Nations:
  • West African Voices & SMAP Program (09:00 – 11:00 CEST) – Featuring perspectives from the region and technical assistance beneficiaries of the SMAP program.
  • Building regional pillars for a plastics treaty (11:15 – 13:15 CEST) – Covering regional strategies from East Africa, ASEAN, OECD, and the Pacific.
  • Navigating the materials spectrum – a criteria-based approach to product design and trade (14:00 – 15:00 CEST) – Exploring alternative and conventional substitutes and how to improve them.
  • Trade at the core of the treaty – data, investment, services and consumer information (15:30 – 17:00 CEST) – Updated plastics trade and plastic substitutes databases, along with a global plastics trade report.

Steven SETIAWAN | CYMG

• The Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP will be organiziong three youth-focused events in Palais des Nations (Rooms TBD):
  • Youth Preparatory Meeting (4 August 2025), held on the same day as the Youth and Stakeholders Assembly, this session will serve as a preparatory space for youth engagement in INC-5.2.
  • “Making Waves on Plastic Pollution” (7 August 2025), marking the official launch of the Youth Plastic Action Network. The event will spotlight youth voices, showcase international efforts, and explore how young people can engage in future treaty COPs.
  • « Youth for a Plastic-Free Future » (12 August 2025: International Youth Day) highlights the transformative role of youth in localizing the SDGs and tackling plastic pollution through intergenerational and policy-driven action.

Tabatha Knudson | Center for Coalfield Justice

• A screening of the unreleased documentary Homoplasticus: Plastic Inside Us will take place on 4 August 2025 at Pathé Balexert, ahead of the upcoming negotiations. The film investigates the environmental and health impacts of plastic, shedding light on the often-overlooked consequences of plastic consumption and its infiltration into daily life.
• The event is organized by Break Free From Plastic, with support from Sorbonne University, Le Mans University & INRAE. Entry is free, but advance registration is required, with details available on the official event website.

Representative from the World Economic Forum

• A Solutions Day will be held on 3 August 2025, the Sunday preceding the start of negotiations, featuring a full-day program consisting of multiple thematic sessions. The event will begin with an opening segment including contributions from civil society and public-private sector leaders, as well as participation from Benjamin and other key figures.
• The day will be structured into three main segments: the first half focused on financing, the second half on national action, and concluding with a private session dedicated to the chemical sector. The event spans eight hours in total and is intended to provide a platform for diverse stakeholders to exchange solutions and strategies ahead of the negotiations.
• Attendance is limited due to capacity constraints, and those interested in participating are encouraged to reach out directly to request further information and secure a spot.

Photo Gallery

Documents

• Presentations made during the event

Links

• Plastics Treaty INC-5.2
• Road to Geneva | Plastic Pollution INC-5.2
• Addressing the Plastic Crisis from Geneva