How [Not] To Make A Plastics Treaty - The Mysterious Midnight Meeting

How [Not] To Make A Plastics Treaty - The Mysterious Midnight Meeting

Author: Anja Krieger February 23, 2026 Duration: 36:26
It's 2026, and we still don't have a plastics treaty. Will we get one, what kind, and when? All of that is up in the air at this point. And after the failed round of negotiations last summer in Geneva, some strange insights emerged: During the last night, a mysterious midnight meeting took place, seemingly to take down the Chair, the person running the negotiation process between states. And - coincidence or not - later in the fall, the Chair did actually step down. Now a new Chair was just elected - showing that if countries want, they can get things done with a vote. In this episode, Magnus Lovold of NAIL, the Norwegian Academy of International Law and a long-time observer of the process, shares his research on that middle-of-the-night meeting and chats with Anja about what happened since, and what might happen next. How many times will the diplomats need to meet until they can conclude an agreement?

Anja Krieger hosts Plastisphere: A podcast on plastic pollution in the environment, a series that digs into the complex story of synthetic polymers. This isn't just a catalog of environmental damage, though that reality is confronted directly. Instead, the podcast carefully examines how these materials, foundational to contemporary life, now permeate every corner of the natural world and our own bodies. Anja guides listeners through a nuanced exploration, asking whether a sustainable coexistence is even possible. She doesn't provide easy answers but facilitates necessary conversations, bringing together researchers, activists, industry insiders, and communities on the front lines. Each episode is built on specific stories and scientific insights, moving from the deep ocean to human bloodstreams to policy halls. You'll hear about the chemistry of plastics, their journey as waste, and the cultural and economic systems that perpetuate their use. The strength of this podcast lies in its commitment to presenting a genuine spectrum of perspectives, avoiding simple blame in favor of understanding a truly global dilemma. It’s a thoughtful, sometimes surprising, and always human-centered look at one of the most defining material challenges of our time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 67

Plastisphere: A podcast on plastic pollution in the environment
Podcast Episodes
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How [Not] to Make a Plastics Treaty - What really happened in Geneva? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:25
After 11 days of talks between 180 nations in the middle of a heatwave, the final session dragged late into the night. The next morning we learned that the plastics treaty talks had - again - ended without an agreement t…