GENEVA: For the first time in the global plastics treaty negotiations, India has openly opposed the inclusion of any global list with phase-out dates under the article on plastic products — a move that puts it squarely alongside Kuwait and the Like-Minded Group (LMG) of countries that includes Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Iran.
Speaking at the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) in Geneva, Vir Vikram Yadav, Chairman of the Central Pollution Control Board and member of India's delegation, warned that such provisions would have “larger implications in respect of the right to development of Member States” and should be avoided.
“The instrument needs to have a clearly defined scope… Separate article on supply or any measures to regulate the production of primary plastic polymers has larger implications… Similarly, inclusion of any global list with phase-out dates under the article on plastic products should be avoided,” Yadav told the stocktake plenary.
India also reiterated that all decisions should be taken by consensus and that the treaty’s scope should focus strictly on “addressing plastic pollution only” as mandated by the 5/14 resolution, without overlapping with other multilateral bodies such as the WTO or WHO.
The stance aligns with Kuwait’s call, on behalf of the Arab Group, for a “party-driven process” and for avoiding irreconcilable issues, as well as with Iran’s rejection of stand-alone texts on scope, supply, and exemptions. This bloc has resisted broadening the treaty’s mandate to include production caps or health provisions and has pushed for more procedural control by member states.
The negotiations, chaired by Ecuador’s Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso, face a firm August 14 deadline to deliver a final text. But divisions on scope, product bans, and production controls remain entrenched. The Chair has urged delegates to clear converged articles for transmission to the legal drafting group and to avoid procedural deadlock.
India’s intervention marks a shift from its image as a global model for single-use plastics (SUP) bans. Since 2022, it has enforced a criteria-based prohibition on 19 SUP items, built on a scientific framework assessing utility, economic value, and environmental impact. It was a possible template for global action. Yet in Geneva, India shied away from binding global timelines.
Critics say this could undermine ambition.
Siddarth G Singh of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) told TNIE, "If we do not have an initial list, what it essentially means is that we are delaying action by at least several years… This pushes any kind of action on single-use plastics by at least 10 years.”
Annex Y — the list India is opposing — contains items already banned nationally, such as plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, cotton bud sticks, and carry bags. Embracing it could strengthen domestic enforcement.
Melissa Blue Sky, Senior Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), told TNIE that India’s opposition reflects “an inconsistent position” and resistance to global regulatory measures.
She noted that adopting a new annex under multilateral environmental agreements is notoriously difficult, often requiring a three-quarters majority or consensus, which could delay action for years.
“In the latter case, it would never be adopted,” she said, warning that rejecting Annex Y now could lock in inaction.
Over 140 countries have called for global bans and phase-outs of problematic plastics. UNEP estimates SUPs make up 36% of plastic production, with 85% mismanaged. The WWF says global bans by 2028 could save governments $12 billion in waste management and cut mismanagement costs by $2 trillion by 2040.