PORT-OF-SPAIN - Canada and other Commonwealth nations sought to breathe new life into climate talks next month by backing a global deal to reduce greenhouse gases.
But the head of the United Nations warned political will is still lacking with just days to go before a key round of climate-change negotiations begins in Copenhagen.
"The momentum for success in Copenhagen has been growing. We need the political leadership at this time," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a news conference Saturday at the Commonwealth meeting in Trinidad and Tobago.
"We have technology. We have financing. We know what science is telling us. The largest lacking part is still the political will. We are united in purpose. We are not yet united in action."
The 53 members of the Commonwealth released a declaration at the summit that stressed the need for countries to commit to a legally-binding agreement to battle climate change.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd characterized the declaration as a bid to kick start the sputtering Copenhagen negotiations, which some leaders feel has "reached an impasse."
The union of mostly former British colonies also threw its support behind Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen, who is chairing the Copenhagen talks and has been pushing for a breakthrough there.
"We pledge our continued support to the leaders-driven process guided by the Danish prime minister and his efforts to deliver a comprehensive, substantial and operationally binding agreement in Copenhagen leading towards a full legally binding outcome no later than 2010," says the text of the declaration released Saturday.
"In Copenhagen we commit to focus our efforts on achieving the strongest possible outcome."
Rasmussen and others had hoped a climate deal to replace the expiring Kyoto Protocol would come out of the Copenhagen summit. But the feeling now is that the best-case scenario in the Danish capital is for leaders to agree on a blueprint that sets guidelines and a rough sketch for an eventual deal.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said as much after a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart, where he announced Canada and India have wrapped up negotiations for a nuclear co-operation agreement.
"I think the expectation is at this point that we will reach a meaningful political-framework agreement in Copenhagen that can lead in the very near future to a binding international legal agreement," Harper said.
"But that will involve mitigation actions from all major emitters combined with arrangements with financing and technology that will make those feasible. So I think that's all possible, but I'm not going to suggest to you it's all easy. There's a great deal of work to be done."
During a brief news conference in which a Canadian and an Indian reporter were each allowed a single question, Harper repeated his government's refrain that it is in virtual lockstep with the Obama administration in the United States when it comes to climate change.
There had been rumours at the Commonwealth meeting that Canada was holding the group back from taking a strong stance on climate change.
But the Australian prime minister came to Canada's defence.
"Canada has always been supportive, in a variety of ways," Rudd told a news conference.
"I had the pleasure this morning of acknowledging the role that Canada has played in our observers mission politically and I welcomed the news that I heard that more support would be forthcoming financially in the next three years for this purpose. It's always had its heart in it and yes, Canada is part of the agreement. ...
"I spoke with Prime Minister Harper this morning and he was fully supportive of what we have before us and that reflects a strong predisposition on the parts of all countries to get action at Copenhagen."
The Commonwealth is backing the idea of a special fund to help vulnerable and poorer nations cope with the effects of a warming planet.
The fund would be set up by countries that sign a new deal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"Fast start funding for adaptation should be focused on the most vulnerable countries," the declaration said.
"We also welcomed a proposal to provide immediate, fast disbursing assistance with a dedicated stream for small island states, and associated low-lying coastal states of (the Alliance of Small Island States)."
Many of the Commonwealth countries are smaller, low-lying coastal and island states prone to rising sea levels and other effects of climate change.
The declaration says the Commonwealth leaders support a fund that would begin in 2010 and grow to $10 billion annually by 2012.
Harper spokesman Dimitri Soudas said it hasn't yet been decided how much Canada will contribute to the fund.
Also Saturday, the prime minister visited a school outside Port of Spain that teaches the Ontario curriculum and has other ties to Canada -- the principal and some teachers are Canadian.
