LE BOURGET, France — With just two days left to reach a deal, negotiators at the world climate talks released a new draft Wednesday that drops the most radical ideas — including an international tribunal to punish polluters — but leaves major issues unresolved, such as who should pay to help the most vulnerable nations cope with global warming.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry challenged diplomats to reach agreement by Friday’s deadline, promising American funding for low-lying island nations and other countries hit hardest by the rising seas and extreme weather that scientists attribute to man-made emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
“Our aim can be nothing less than a steady transformation of the global economy,” Kerry said.
The new draft released by the U.N. climate agency is 29 pages, down from a 43-page version issued Saturday. There are about 100 places where decisions still must be made, including multiple options left in brackets, or blank spaces.
“We have never been this close to a climate change agreement,” said Maldives official Thoriq Ibrahim, chairman of an alliance of island nations.
