Shaping the plastics treaty: ISC Expert Group publishes key recommendations in Nature Sustainability

As governments prepare for the final round of negotiations on a global treaty to end plastic pollution, a newly published Commentary in Nature Sustainability highlights the critical need to embed robust scientific evidence into the treaty’s development and implementation. Authored by the International Science Council’s (ISC) Expert Group on Plastic Pollution, the article offers timely guidance for diplomats and policy-makers ahead of the resumed negotiations (INC-5.2) in Geneva in August 2025. 

Titled “Effective progress and implementation of the INC-5 plastics treaty through scientific guidance”, the article outlines science-based priorities to support the development of a global instrument capable of ending plastic pollution and mitigating its widespread impacts on the environment and human health. Convened by the ISC in early 2024, the expert group, comprised of 16 researchers from across diverse regions and scientific fields, was established to provide independent scientific input throughout the treaty process and to support Member States in shaping an effective and inclusive instrument. 

The publication follows the inconclusive outcome of the fifth round of negotiations (INC-5) in Busan, which ended without agreement on a treaty text. The authors stress that independent, science-based input is vital to inform the final stage of negotiations, providing a neutral foundation to solving key contentious technical issues and ensuring the treaty is both effective and actionable throughout the implementation phases. 

The Commentary presents science-based recommendations on four key elements of the treaty which will determine the treaty’s success: 

• A global target to limit production of primary plastic polymers to sustainable levels within a specific time frame, based on scientific indicators and regularly reviewed by a scientific body; 

• Global, science-based criteria and lists for harmful chemicals and problematic plastic products, along with clear phase-out timelines; 

• A framework for robust monitoring and effectiveness evaluation, supported by globally standardized protocols and open-access data systems to assess the treaty’s effectiveness and ensure transparent, data-driven decision-making; 

• A robust science–policy–society interface, grounded in independence, interdisciplinarity, inclusivity and policy relevance, to support decision-making and treaty implementation. 

The authors urge Member States to include binding provisions to reduce unsustainable plastic production and and address chemicals and products of concern in plastics, and to adopt inclusive advisory models for integrating interdisciplinary scientific evidence, Indigenous Peoples’ and local knowledge and stakeholder inputs into treaty implementation. 

About the ISC Expert Group on Plastic Pollution 

Established in 2024 by the International Science Council (ISC), the expert group brings together global experts from diverse disciplines in marine science, toxicology, circular economy, chemistry, and environmental law. The group provides independent, multidisciplinary scientific input to inform the development of an international legally binding instrument to combat plastic pollution and support evidence-based decision-making. 

Article details 

Title: Effective progress and implementation of the INC-5 plastics treaty through scientific guidance 
Journal: Nature Sustainability 
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01574-0 
 

Media contact
Léa Nacache  
International Science Council (ISC) 
[email protected]

Copyright
This open-access article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. You are free to use, adapt, distribute, or reproduce the content in other forums, provided you credit the original author(s) or licensor, cite the original publication on the International Science Council website, include the original hyperlink and indicate if changes were made. Any use that does not comply with these terms is not permitted.

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