New COP28 draft deal includes option to end fossil fuels

United Arab Emirates Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber speaks during a press conference at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 4, 2023. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File photo

DUBAI (Reuters) -The U.N. climate agency published a new draft of its COP28 agreement on Friday that included options for an historic phase out of fossil fuels, as conference host the UAE urged delegates to set aside their differences to achieve a deal.

The nearly 200 nations gathered at the halfway point of the conference in Dubai are now expected to focus on the issue of fossil fuels in the hope of reaching a consensus before the gathering's scheduled end on Dec. 12.