Overview

• Negotiators from nearly 180 nations are meeting in Geneva from August 5 to 14 to finalize the first legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution.
• A High Ambition coalition of roughly 130 states is pressing for strict lifecycle controls and production caps, while a like-minded bloc of oil-producing countries argues for a focus solely on waste management.
• A Lancet report published on August 4 describes plastic pollution as a growing health threat that incurs at least $1.5 trillion in annual costs worldwide.
• Activists have installed evolving sculptures such as Benjamin Von Wong’s "Le fardeau du Penseur" outside the UN to highlight the human health toll of plastic and influence negotiators.
• Delegates face over 300 unresolved issues, including chemical bans and reduction targets, as they try to bridge deep divides before the summit concludes.