China’s cross-cutting research on environment and development, which shapes its national policies toward an ecological civilization, as well as international cooperation in a world of interconnected environmental and development challenges will take center stage in the deliberations. Discussions will focus on innovation in global environmental governance; inclusive energy transition; sustainable production and consumption systems; and national green governance.

A government nominates a chemical when it is concerned that the substance behaves like a persistent organic pollutant (POP), meaning the substance persists in the environment, travels long distances, builds up in living tissue, and causes harm. As the world grapples with the many problems posed by plastics, there are questions if some chemicals used in plastics have these POP characteristics.

The Chemical Review Committee is scheduled to review up to 22 new notifications covering eight candidate chemicals. Seven of those eight chemicals are pesticides: atrazine, azinphos-ethyl, endrin, mephosfolan, methomyl, phosphamidon, and prothoate. Only one, lead chromates, is an industrial chemical.

Delegates focused on financial and technological issues related to the phase-out of ozone depleting substances and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), with emphasis on the funding required for the 2027–2029 replenishment of the Multilateral Fund to ensure effective implementation.