The Copenhagen Climate Change summit is failing to deliver the kind of deal needed to protect the planet from the impact of global warming, Ed Miliband has warned.

Speaking ahead of the arrival of world leaders such as Gordon Brown and Barack Obama later in the week, the climate change secretary declared that more urgency is needed, warning: "We're not yet on track for the kind of deal we need."

Greater progress is required before the heads of state arrive, he added, pointing out that Britain is working hard to convince fellow nations to support an "ambitious and comprehensive" agreement on climate change.

"We're now getting close to midnight in this negotiation and we need to act like it," Mr Miliband remarked.

His comments come after the G77 group of countries urged the US to commit to $200 billion (£123 billion) of funding to help developing nations adapt to the effects of climate change.

Lumumba Di-Aping, chief negotiator for the consortium, said the US should take global warming as seriously as it takes its war effort.