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This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the concentration of global plastic polymer production among a small number of countries and companies, highlighting the tension between a majority of nations seeking production reductions and a minority of oil and gas-producing states opposing such measures.

RMI has released the Plastics Extrusion and Molding Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Guidance to improve emissions transparency across the plastics supply chain, enabling stakeholders to make better-informed decisions and drive demand for low-emissions plastics.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics provides an overview of the global petrochemical industry, highlighting its growing contribution to oil and gas demand and greenhouse gas emissions. It details the specific impacts of nitrogen fertilisers and plastics, the rapid expansion of production capacity—particularly in China—and the limitations of current recycling and substitution strategies in mitigating climate and health risks.

This briefing note provides a preliminary review of global trade flows across the entire plastics life cycle, from feedstocks and chemical additives to finished products and waste, to inform international negotiations on plastic pollution.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) submitted a statement to the 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council supporting the Special Rapporteur's report on women, girls, and the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. CIEL emphasizes that addressing fossil fuels and the petrochemical industry is essential to protecting the rights of women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by the triple planetary crisis and microplastics.

This guide by RMI outlines the climate impact of the plastics industry, emphasizing that plastic production is a significant source of carbon pollution due to its reliance on fossil fuels. It discusses the necessity of accurate carbon accounting, the potential for decarbonization through renewable energy and electrification, and the climate implications of various plastic waste disposal methods.

This research paper by Honour Stahl, published by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, argues that endocrine-related health issues—such as endometriosis, PCOS, and breast cancer—are significantly driven by ubiquitous environmental contaminants rather than solely by individual genetics or lifestyle. The author critiques the current medical and regulatory landscape for placing the burden of prevention on the ill while allowing corporations to profit from both the production of harmful chemicals and the treatment of the resulting diseases.

An oral intervention by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Child Rights Connect delivered to the Human Rights Council on March 10, 2022, regarding the report by Special Rapporteur David R. Boyd on non-toxic environments and the creation of "sacrifice zones."

This document introduces a legal overview designed to inform the development of a new global instrument to address the plastics crisis. It notes that 10 formal propositions were submitted between 2017 and 2020 and that negotiations were set to begin at the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA5.2) in February 2022. The report analyzes the typology of international legal instruments, with a focus on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), to help negotiators determine the appropriate structure and type of agreement.

This briefing from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the European Union's upcoming methane regulation must encompass the petrochemical sector and the entire supply chain of fossil fuel imports. The document highlights a growing trade in natural gas liquids (NGLs), specifically ethane and propane, from the United States to Europe to fuel plastics production, which the author contends undermines EU climate goals and bypasses domestic fracking bans.