Delegates from 184 nations entered the final hours of United Nations talks in Geneva on Thursday with no agreement in sight on what would be the first legally binding treaty to curb plastic pollution. A revised draft released late Wednesday by negotiations chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso eliminated proposed caps on the production of virgin plastics and struck language on hazardous chemical additives, shifting the focus toward voluntary measures and better waste management. The compromise text immediately drew fire from almost every side. Roughly 100 countries in the self-styled High-Ambition Coalition—including France, Kenya, Panama and the United Kingdom—said the document lacked enforceable targets and failed to cover plastics’ full life-cycle. Oil-producing nations led by Saudi Arabia and backed by the United States also opposed the draft, arguing it still overstepped by referencing chemicals controls and an undefined treaty scope. The mutual rejection left negotiators scrambling for a new formula before the session’s scheduled close at midnight. The stalemate centres on whether the treaty should mandate production limits on polymers derived from fossil fuels or concentrate on downstream solutions such as recycling. Scientists warn that annual plastic output—already about 430 million tonnes—could triple by 2060 without intervention, while less than 10 % of discarded plastic is currently recycled. Pressure to secure a deal has mounted during the two-week meeting. A Lancet study published this month called plastics a “grave, growing and under-recognised danger” to human health. French President Emmanuel Macron said the draft’s “lack of ambition” was unacceptable, and Indigenous leaders as well as environmental groups staged daily demonstrations outside the UN complex. If negotiators fail to bridge the gap, delegates may have to extend discussions or schedule a seventh round, prolonging a process that has already stretched nearly three years. Observers say the outcome could determine whether the treaty evolves into a robust global curb on plastic production or devolves into a voluntary waste-management accord.