The White House said Tuesday it is disappointing that negotiators could not strike a legally binding deal to address plastic pollution during a high-profile summit in South Korea.

A summit many hoped would yield a landmark treaty to tackle a global plastic pollution crisis ended in disappointment after oil- and gas-producing countries pushed back on limiting production

Negotiations in South Korea for a global treaty on plastic waste stalemated over limits on plastic production and the elimination of harmful chemicals.

Plastic pollution is choking the planet. From the bottom of the Mariana trench to the top of Mount Everest, there is little escaping the problem. Regardless, treaty negotiations to end plastic pollution collapsed on Sunday after the event in Busan,

The negotiations in Busan, South Korea, were supposed to be the fifth and final round to produce the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including in the oceans, by the end of 2024.

The meeting was the last stage in a two-year process, after more than 170 nations in March 2022 backed a historic UN resolution to end plastic pollution.

Oil-producing countries were reportedly the key obstacle to finding common ground at the gathering in South Korea.