Enviro News Asia, Geneva – Minister of Environment and Head of the Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH), Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to leading global efforts to end plastic pollution.
This statement was delivered during the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), held in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
The international meeting aims to develop a legally binding global instrument to address plastic pollution.
Minister Hanif’s presence at the forum marked a strategic move to strengthen Indonesia’s position in the Global Plastic Treaty negotiations while advancing the national agenda for sustainable waste management.
On the second day of the event, Minister Hanif attended a high-level ministerial roundtable, a business–government dialogue, bilateral meetings with officials from Switzerland, the UK, and the Netherlands, as well as a visit to a local reuse facility.
During the roundtable, Minister Hanif expressed Indonesia’s concern over the slow progress in the Global Plastic Treaty negotiations, emphasizing the urgent need to address the serious threat of plastic pollution.
“There is a need for an inclusive and fair negotiation process that respects the unique conditions of each country, especially developing nations, which require support in technology, financing, and investment from developed countries,” said Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, as quoted in an official statement by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia.
Minister Hanif explained that Indonesia has set a national target to ensure 100% of waste, including plastic, is properly managed by 2029.
This effort includes eliminating problematic plastics, reducing hazardous chemicals, remediating existing pollution, and preventing plastic leakage into the environment.
In a dialogue with the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty—representing more than 300 companies across the plastic value chain—Minister Hanif endorsed three key points of the coalition: elimination of problematic products and chemicals, adoption of sustainable product design, and the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
EPR is an environmental policy in which producers take full responsibility for the life cycle of the products they manufacture, including post-consumer waste.
This responsibility covers the collection, sorting, recycling, or safe disposal of waste, ensuring that the burden of waste management is not borne solely by the government or the public but also by the producers themselves.
“This aligns with Indonesia’s priority to promote a circular economy, innovation, and investment in waste management infrastructure in more than 500 districts and cities,” Minister Hanif added.
The bilateral meeting with the UK discussed potential cooperation in biodiversity protection, flood control in the Ciliwung River, and the development of a circular economy.
“The UK offered technical support, research collaboration, and funding to prevent plastic leakage into rivers and oceans,” he said.
Meanwhile, the meeting with Dutch Environment Minister Christianne van der Wal-Zeggelink focused on waste-to-energy management, sustainable product design, and university cooperation for environmentally friendly plastic innovations.
“Both countries also agreed to strengthen their partnership in the G20 and UNEA forums, and to accelerate the finalization of the global plastic treaty,” said Minister van der Wal-Zeggelink.
Minister Hanif emphasized that the success of the treaty must be based on consensus, not voting, to ensure effective implementation in every country.
“We must not lose momentum. The treaty must be ambitious, practical, and send a strong signal that plastic pollution must end. The time to act is now,” concluded Minister Hanif. (*)
