(COP28) UN climate talks prolonged as parties fail to reach consensus

DUBAI, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing UN climate talks in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, were extended Tuesday beyond the scheduled host-set deadline of 11:00 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) as parties to the COP28 climate conference failed to reach a consensus on the draft text of a hoped-for final agreement.

"We would all like to finish on time, but we want the most ambitious outcome," said COP28 Director-General Majid Al Suwaidi while briefing media on the latest developments.

Al Suwaidi said, "We are facing the most demanding COP agenda of all time."

He noted that the Presidency and all parties are "trying to do something that has never been done before ... something historic," referring to "including language on fossil fuels in the text."

Al Suwaidi said efforts are being made toward "a comprehensive plan to close the gaps between where the world is and where it needs to be."

He reaffirmed that the summit has adopted a "two-track approach," one driven by the Presidency and one by all the parties while admitting that lots of the parties felt the draft text on the table "did not fully address their concerns."

The director general said a new text is to be drafted, which would include "all the elements we need for a comprehensive plan to 2030," regarding mitigation, adaptation, means of implementation, and loss and damage.