Overview

• Over 200 petrochemical and plastics industry lobbyists are accredited in Geneva, outnumbering some national blocs and raising concerns about undue influence.
• The US circulated a July 25 memo urging countries to reject plastic production targets, bans on hazardous additives, and upstream controls.
• Australia, joined by nearly 100 countries, confirmed it will defy the US position by backing binding global caps on virgin plastic production.
• Negotiators describe the resumed fifth round of talks as a “dialogue of the deaf” with no breakthroughs on Articles 3, 6, and 19 addressing hazardous chemicals, production limits, and health protections.
• A recent Lancet review linking plastics to miscarriages, birth defects, heart disease, and cancer underpins the ambitious coalition’s push for a health-centered treaty.