Global business mobilised to seize historic opportunity to end plastic pollution 

The full statement was delivered by Raelene Martin, ICC Head of Sustainability, on 5 August 2025. 

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It is my honour to speak on behalf of the International Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest and most representative business organisation. 

We sincerely thank the INC Secretariat for their tireless work preparing this critical session, and the Government of Switzerland for hosting us in Geneva — a fitting location for international cooperation and multilateral progress. 

The global business community stresses the urgent need to conclude an effective and workable agreement here in Geneva that delivers on the UNEA 5/14 mandate, with the urgency the plastic pollution crisis demands. 

We are at a defining moment. INC-5.2 must deliver an agreement that provides clear direction and the framework to accelerate business action — and that of all actors — towards a future free from plastic pollution.  

The world is watching. The credibility of multilateralism and the hope for transformative change rest on what we achieve here. 

It is imperative to agree now on the contours of the agreement, incorporating a smart mix of complementary measures with the right hooks to evolve and strengthen the agreement over time. 

In this spirit, we highlight the following priority areas: 

First, a fully circular approach must be central to the treaty. 
A functioning circular economy for plastics is key to reduce waste and pollution. The instrument should provide practical guidance to ensure products are designed for circularity, promoting reuse, recycling, and environmentally sound management throughout their lifecycle. 
Waste management must be a core obligation, with Parties required to take measures for the environmentally sound management of plastic waste, while allowing flexibility to reflect national circumstances and capacities. 

Second, focus on plastic products should prioritize plastic products and applications with a demonstrably high risk of environmental leakage. This must be based on a common, evidence-based, application-specific framework that accounts for national circumstances, technical capacity, and socio-economic realities, ensuring measures are fair, effective, and implementable. 

Third, innovation is essential. 
The agreement must promote the role of innovation as a key enabler, with strong provisions to support new innovative technologies to drive action across the plastics value chain.  This will enable rapid system transformation and support businesses of all sizes in contributing solutions.  

Lastly, the success of the instrument hinges on effective means of implementation for the real economy that can drive accelerated business action and innovation, and also takes into account the needs of MSMES, the backbone of the global economy.  

A supportive enabling environment is necessary, including capacity building and a strong financial mechanism to translate treaty provisions into concrete action.  

For tangible impact, Parties should establish a common framework for national action plans to translate treaty provisions into clear targets and strategies.  

Businesses around the world – large and small – are already taking bold action. We know the urgency of the crisis. But we need the right international framework to accelerate and scale our efforts. 

This agreement must give industry the clarity and confidence to invest in lasting change. 

Excellencies, 

The task before you is not easy – but it is achievable. 

We urge all Parties to show the determination, flexibility and leadership needed to bring these negotiations to a successful close – here and now in Geneva. 

The world is waiting. Business is ready. The moment is yours. Let us not miss it. 

Let us seize this historic opportunity to deliver a legacy: an agreement that puts the world firmly on the path to end plastic pollution, drives circularity, and delivers for people and planet. 
Thank you.  

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2025 is a critical year for the Paris Agreement. Ten years on, we need to rethink how we frame the challenge. And seeing challenges differently is what business and we are all about.  

ICC is committed to securing what businesses need at the upcoming climate negotiations, COP30, in Belém, Brazil. Learn more about our Opportunity of a Lifetime climate campaign and how to get involved.