UN releases a draft for potential agreement on climate

Paris: The UN has released a first draft of the negotiating text for the major conference on climate taking place in Paris in December.

The 20-page document published today is set to be "the basis for negotiation", the UN stressed in a written statement.

A large number of proposals in the text are in parentheses, meaning they are still to be negotiated. The document notably includes a long-term goal for reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions, but details and deadline remain to be discussed.

Negotiators from 195 countries are to gather for a new session of talks Oct 19-23 in Bonn, Germany.

The Paris conference on climate is aiming for an ambitious deal to keep the rise in worldwide temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius this century.