In this episode of the Reloop Brief, Barry Snedden checks in with Joe Papineschi, Chairperson for Eunomia Research & Consulting, for a post-INC 5.2 debrief. They unpack why the plastics treaty negotiations ended without a deal, what actually moved forward, and how the Chair’s draft text was received (first, an over-watered proposal that was rejected by all sides, then a still-compromised framework with too many unresolved options to conclude).

Joe explains the persistent polarisation since INC-2 (production limits vs. waste-only focus), the parallel fault line on financing, and why private-sector contributions, especially a primary plastic polymer fee, are gaining attention amid thin public funds. Joe sheds some light on the most plausible paths ahead.