Negotiators from 175 nations say a legally binding treaty to curb plastic pollution is within reach after a breakthrough session narrowed the biggest disagreements. The draft under discussion would set a global target to cut plastic waste by 60 percent by 2040, measured against current levels.
For the first time the argument is about numbers and dates, not about whether there should be a treaty at all. That is what the endgame of a negotiation looks like.
- Dr. Ngozi Bello, environmental policy negotiator, Global Environment Forum
The world produces more than 400 million tonnes of plastic a year, and only a small fraction is recycled. Earlier rounds had stalled over whether the treaty should cap production or focus solely on waste management.
What the draft contains
The current text pairs the 60 percent reduction target with binding rules on single-use plastics, product-design standards to make packaging recyclable, and a fund to help lower-income countries build waste systems. This is the fifth negotiating round of a process that has run for two years.
What could still derail it
A group of producing states continues to resist firm caps on new plastic production, favouring recycling and clean-up commitments instead. Negotiators cautioned that the remaining gaps, though narrower, are the hardest, and that a breakthrough session is not the same as a signed treaty.