November 7, 2009 G-20 Officials discuss cost of fighting climate change Play video

(NECN/APTV) - The British Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling urged the world's top finance officials on Saturday to reach an agreement on bearing the cost of fighting climate change before a Untied Nations summit on global warming next month.

Addressing finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 rich and developing nations at the start of round table talks in Saint Andrews, Scotland, Darling said that officials need to agree on a finance package to help poorer nations develop green industries and adapt to climate change.

"I think that it really is imperative that when we reach the end of the day, that we have shown that we have made some real progress in dealing with what is a very real and urgent problem now," Darling said.

"We will do everything that we can to reach that agreement in advance of the Copenhagen meeting," he added.

There have been disagreements about which forum was the most appropriate place to discuss funding to fight climate change.

The push to put it on the agenda here reflects concern that nations will fail to agree in Copenhagen on December 6 on a successor to the Kyoto treaty limiting carbon emissions.

The G-20 finance officials are also discussing ways to secure future global economic growth.