NEGOTIATORS working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution inched closer to an agreement today, with more countries saying they want to address the total amount of plastic on Earth.

The most contentious issue is whether there will be a limit on the amount of plastic that companies are allowed to produce. 

Panama proposed text for the treaty to address plastic production on Thursday.

Juan Carlos Monterrey, head of Panama’s delegation, said it’s a compromise proposal to build consensus because it does not include a numerical target or production cap. 

Instead, it says countries would adopt a global target at a later conference of the parties meeting. Support for Panama’s proposal quickly grew to over 100 countries. 

Some plastic-producing and oil and gas countries, including Saudi Arabia, vigorously oppose including plastic production in the treaty, calling it a red line. 

Russia’s delegation has said if the world is serious about this treaty, negotiators must concentrate on provisions acceptable for all delegations.

This afternoon, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the committee chair from Ecuador, issued a paper with draft treaty text, condensing the views expressed by negotiators during the week. The treaty article on production has Panama’s proposal. The other option is to strike that article.

“This is great! This is great,” Mr Monterrey said as he read the document just after it was issued.

“It is a big show of force, of muscle, for those countries that are ambitious. And also this shows that consensus is still possible,” he said in an interview.

Global plastics production is set to reach 736 million tons by 2040, up 70 per cent from 2020, without policy changes, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Environmental campaigners demonstrated outside the convention centre this morning, demanding that negotiators show courage.