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Copenhagen enters final day

Climate change 21st century challenge
Gordon Brown urges leaders to reach a climate change agreement

Gordon Brown urges leaders to reach a climate change agreement

Today (18th December) marks the final day of the Copenhagen climate change summit and negotiations are still ongoing.

It is hoped that the world leaders gathered in the Danish capital will be able to reach an agreement on how to tackle climate change.

Commentators' opinions on the matter vary, with Lord Stern stating that there is a common understanding of the need to limit global warming, telling the Dow Jones newswire that there is a "reasonable chance" an agreement will be made today.

However, sources close to the discussions have revealed that late night negotiations last night did not go smoothly.

Speaking yesterday, prime minister Gordon Brown warned of the risks not reaching an agreement will pose.

"In these few days in Copenhagen, which will be blessed or blamed for generations to come, we cannot permit the politics of narrow interest to prevent a policy for human survival," he told delegates at the summit.

Negotiators are expected to work until just before today's 15:00 local time signing ceremony to produce an operational agreement document.

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According to reports in the Guardian, which obtained a draft copy of the agreement, the text includes a commitment to launch a $30 billion (£18.42 billion) fast track fund for poorer nations and also supports proposals for $100 billion of climate funding by 2010.

However, it reportedly scraps the goal of limiting average temperature rises to two degrees.

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