Overview

• A chair’s draft released Wednesday omitted caps on virgin plastic output and chemical controls and was rejected by about 80 countries
• Oil- and gas-producing states with industry lobbyists are pushing a focus on waste management, recycling and voluntary national commitments
• Roughly 100 countries and the High Ambition Coalition insist on legally binding upstream measures to curb production and restrict hazardous additives
• Civil society delegates, led by figures such as Greenpeace’s Graham Forbes and the Environmental Investigation Agency’s Christina Dixon, urged negotiators to hold firm to secure meaningful action
• Under consensus rules, the treaty can only be adopted by unanimity, prompting discussions on whether to reconvene if no agreement emerges by Friday