The nearly USD 700 million Work Program approved focuses heavily on chemicals and waste at a time when the GEF hopes to prove to the multilateral community it has the capacity to serve as the financial mechanism for a global plastics treaty and that it could play a significant role in realizing the vision of the Global Framework on Chemicals.

IPCC delegates will gather to review draft work on key elements of their Seventh Assessment Report—including draft outline of each Working Group—as well as the IPCC Trust Fund Programme and budget for the years 2024 to 2027.

The International Court of Justice will issue an advisory opinion on the obligations of States under international law to protect the climate system.

Despite long hours of difficult negotiations and progress on streamlining ideas and trying to bridge the gap between countries, delegates could not reach agreement on a new treaty to end plastic pollution. They agreed to suspend the session and reconvene in 2025.