Talks at the United Nations in Geneva to establish a global legally binding treaty on plastic pollution went into overtime on Thursday, with discussions adjourned to Friday.
Delegates faced sharp disagreements over how far the treaty should go, particularly regarding limits on plastic production and measures to address the full life cycle of plastics—from polymer production to waste disposal and impacts on health.
Luis Vayas Valdivieso, chair of the International Negotiating Committee (INC), which was set up by the UN Environment Agency (UNEA) in 2022, informed delegates that negotiations would continue after the scheduled meeting time ended.
States such as Panama, Kenya, Britain, and the European Union criticised the draft text, noting that key provisions had been removed, while oil-producing nations resisted restrictions on virgin plastics derived from petroleum, coal, and gas.
European Union Commissioner Jessika Roswall called a 'weak, static agreement' ineffective, stressing the need for a treaty that covers the full life cycle of plastics and evolves with science.
Panama labelled the draft text 'repulsive,' demanding a complete rewrite, while Saudi Arabia emphasised that agreement depends on clarifying the treaty’s scope.
Norwegian Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen urged compromise among all parties to create a balanced package, and some industry representatives, such as Ross Eisenberg of America’s Plastic Makers, expressed cautious optimism.
Meanwhile, Colombian lawmaker Juan Carlos Lozada cautioned that a weak deal could be worse than no deal at all.
Around 300 businesses, including Unilever, called for an ambitious treaty to harmonise global rules, warning that insufficient coordination could increase costs and fragmentation.
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Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2026 will be announced on Friday, 9 October, bringing one of the world's most closely watched awards back into focus.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Türkiye’s COP31 presidency has unveiled an action agenda designed to turn climate commitments into concrete projects and measurable results, focusing on clean energy, waste reduction, resilient cities and industrial decarbonisation.
Greenland and Antarctica have shed a combined 11.3 trillion tonnes of ice since 1979, according to the most comprehensive satellite study of the planet's ice sheets to date, with researchers warning the pace of loss has accelerated sharply in recent decades.
The European Union will continue allowing large-scale plastic waste exports to Türkiye despite concerns over recycling rates, environmental damage and the risk of illegal waste trafficking.
Hundreds of thousands of deep-diving turtles, known as olive ridley sea turtles, have arrived on Mexico’s southern coast for one of nature’s most striking nesting events. But conservation officials warn that climate change is making it increasingly difficult for their eggs to hatch.
August 2026 tied as the hottest month ever recorded globally, pushing average temperatures above the critical 1.5°C threshold as extreme weather swept across several regions, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said.
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