French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who is leading the U.N. conference, stated that he still intends to release a nearly finalized draft on Thursday afternoon in order to minimize disagreements and prepare for a final round of revisions. He expressed his goal of reaching a final agreement during a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon before the talks resumed. Fabius emphasized the importance of completing an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by Friday, the official closing date of the meeting, rather than extending the conference as done in the past. However, there are still disagreements among ministers and negotiators from 195 countries on key issues, such as determining which countries will provide the necessary funds to assist developing countries in transitioning to lower-carbon energy sources. The issue causing disagreement has heightened tensions between the US and China regarding the financial contributions of countries, as mentioned by US Secretary of State John Kerry. While the Chinese did not provide specific details, they indicated a willingness to compromise. The decision between 1.5 degrees or 2 degrees remains uncertain, with further discussions and revisions planned before a resolution is reached. Gao Feng, a Chinese negotiator, mentioned that more consultations with colleagues are needed before a final agreement is possible, possibly by Friday or Saturday. The discussions have also reignited disagreements on the level of ambition the deal should have in addressing the increase in the earth's temperatures. A significant group of developing countries are adamant that the agreement must include the long-term objective of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, even though the carbon emission reductions pledged by countries for the next decade fall far short of that target. Many participants are still haunted by the disastrous failure to reach a deal in Copenhagen in 2009, the last time the world attempted to agree on addressing climate change. Alex Hanafi, head of climate change strategy for the Environmental Defense Fund in the US, stated that there is a strong desire to reach a deal this time, but the question remains whether it will be a robust agreement or a weak one. Jose Ramos-Horta, a former president of East Timor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who is part of his country's negotiating team, emphasized that no country should expect to achieve everything they want from a treaty. He informed Reuters that a treaty is not set in stone like the Bible and can be reviewed and potentially strengthened in the future, implying that the agreements made in Paris are not final.