Smith puts emissions pressure on developing nations

Climate Change Minister Nick Smith is challenging major developing countries to make the necessary emissions cuts to progress climate negotiations in Copenhagen.

Officials resumed talks at the United Nations meeting on Monday night after the African delegation, backed by other poor countries, had pulled the pin earlier in the day.

They feared developed countries were trying to wriggle out of tough cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.

In an interview at the New Zealand consulate office in Copenhagen, Smith tried to put the pressure back on poor countries.

He described the position of developed countries as "united and strong".

"If we are to make progress we have to get commitments on the table from those large developing countries whose emissions growth over the next three decades is going to overwhelm any efforts that are made by those developed countries with commitments under Kyoto."

Many developing countries are still pinning their hopes on a legally-binding agreement.

However Smith said there was a huge difficulty with a Kyoto Protocol agreement "mark two".

"Excluding the United States and the fast-growing developing countries will not be a solution to the climate change problem."

"There remains quite a bit of tension."

India's officials are reportedly frustrated with how the negotiations are being conducted.

Smith met with his counterparts from Mexico, the Netherlands and the Danish on Monday.

"Despite some of the shenanigans in the broader conference there's actually a very high level of inter-country agreement about what is required to be done.

"The challenge is going to be to translate that through the complex UN systems into a workable agreement."

New Zealand officials said progress had been made on technical issues such as forestry and finance.

"But the really big, tough issues remain unresolved with ... time running out," Smith said.

Prime Minister John Key arrives in Denmark on Thursday afternoon, and will take part in a BBC television debate at the Copenhagen Concert Hall and, that night, dine at Christiansborg Castle.

He will attend climate change negotiations on Friday and is due to leave Copenhagen on Saturday morning.

The meeting is scheduled to wrap up on Friday night, assuming a deal is reached.

- © Fairfax NZ News