Overview

• Nearly 180 countries have convened in Geneva for a sixth round of UN negotiations running through August 14 to finalize a legally binding plastics treaty
• Oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia and Russia are challenging binding production caps and pushing for voluntary national measures
• The United States is leading a bloc advocating for an emphasis on recycling and product design rather than production restrictions to protect domestic industry
• Negotiators face more than 300 unresolved draft provisions covering chemical safety standards, financing for developing nations and full lifecycle regulations
• Health and environmental experts warn that without binding production limits, global plastic output could triple by 2060 and drive at least $1.5 trillion in annual health-related economic losses