Warning: Ministers hope to reach new agreement

Ministers have been seeking progress on a credible energy and environment policy to replace the Kyoto agreement on climate change.

Representatives of more than 20 governments gathered in London to examine how a new deal on global warming can be found following July's Gleneagles summit.

Ministers from G8 nations were joined by their colleagues from China, India, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa at the London event.

The ministers sought to examine ways of establishing a low carbon economy and set goals for achieving their aim.

As the politicians gathered, Tony Blair said the meeting should "build the foundations" of a global response to climate change.

Threat

Describing climate change as a "major threat", the prime minister said there was a "reluctance to face to up to reality and the practical action needed to tackle problems".

Blair also said a new consensus should be reachable despite opposition to the Kyoto protocol from major players such as the US.

"We need to see how the existing energy technologies we have such as wind, solar and - yes - nuclear, together with new technologies such as fuel cells and carbon capture and storage, can generate the low carbon power the world needs," he said.

The meeting, chaired by environment secretary Margaret Beckett and trade secretary Alan Johnson, was also being attended by Claude Mandil, executive director of the International Energy Agency.

Ahead of the event, Beckett said the UK was using its G8 and EU presidencies to deliver progress.

"It is imperative that we find new ways to cooperate and develop a shared understanding of how the world can respond to climate change," she said.

"There is no greater challenge facing the world."

New deal

During the weekend the prime minister intervened to call for a new deal on climate change between the EU, the US and China and India.

Beckett said progress was already being made with the Chinese and Indian governments.

"We have used our presidency of the EU to agree new partnerships with both China and India on climate change," she said.

"I am particularly pleased that we have agreed to work with China to develop and demonstrate carbon capture and storage technologies to enable power to be generated from near-zero emissions."