UN Publicly Releases Climate Change Draft Document

While it's been in the hands of diplomats for some time, now the public can view the draft United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change document.

Running nearly 200 pages, the draft has been criticized as both unwieldy and not comprehensive enough. Before recent revisions, the document was more than 300 pages, reports the Guardian UK.

The document will be the central point of discussion for global climate change officials as they meet this week in Bangkok, Thailand. There, officials will address any final points before the draft is further altered in advance of the December climate talks in Copenhagen.

At the Bangkok talks, according to a Reuters article, key issues are:

• Financing - To what degree will rich nations subsidize efforts by developing nations to adapt their economies to climate change?
• Structure of the agreement - What type of legal framework will be successful at keeping signatories to the climate change deal to their word?
• Deforestation and degradation - Some nations want to create a system to reward developing nations for preserving their forests, which help absorb CO2 emissions.