Speaking today (December 1) at prime minister’s questions in response to Green MP Caroline Lucas, Mr Cameron said the pace of change in the developing world called for a new look at climate funding.

Mr Cameron says since the 1997 Kyoto agreement, currently ratified by 191 countries since its launch at COP3, the then developing countries have come a long way.

And, now a new way of ‘leveraging funding’ from the better performing developing nations has to be looked at, according to the prime minister.

Ms Lucas, edie’s green personality of the year, praised the Government for pledging £2.9 billon to global climate change fund.

She also talked about COP16 and asked the Tory leader: “Can he say what further innovative funding mechanisms he plans to employ to raise the £100 million pledged annually at Copenhagen.”

Mr Cameron replied: “The honourable lady is right to raise this issue. While Cancun is not going to achieve a binding global agreement that we want it to, it can make a important step toward it so that so we can stay on track.”

Indicating the coalition government plans to ask for, and wants to see, more from developing nations Mr Cameron continued: “There are very real connections between climate change and poverty.

“There is a commitment that we shall keep too of £2.9 billion, Britain is a leader on this and we need to look at leveraging money from other parts of the world.

“Especially the fast developing countries as when Kyoto was agreed they were developing countries and they are now fast developing.”

Luke Walsh

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