ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have warned that the world’s first treaty to tackle plastic pollution is at risk of being watered down as countries meet in Geneva tomorrow to resume stalled negotiations.

In previous collapsed talks, Britain has been part of a “high-ambition coalition” calling for binding rules, including on reducing production and consumption.

Campaigners say the process has been obstructed by plastic industry lobbying.

Christina Dixon of the Environmental Investigation Agency said: “This is the make-or-break moment to determine whether countries [can come] together, overcoming the pressure to compromise on a weak agreement and stand firm on the level of ambition required.

“The biggest obstacles remain the fact that a small group of countries either don’t want a treaty or don’t want one that meaningfully addresses the problem of plastic pollution.”

Greenpeace UK’s Rudy Schulkind called the treaty “our best opportunity to turn off the tap on unnecessary plastic production.”

“Allowing fossil-fuels lobbyists and their dirty tactics anywhere near the treaty negotiations is a recipe for disaster: their sole aim is to derail and sabotage the talks on behalf of their profit hungry paymasters,” he said.

“UN member states must stand firm for a strong global plastics treaty.”