The Copenhagen Climate Change summit began yesterday (December 7th 2009) amid hope that a global deal on reducing greenhouse emissions could be reached.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the negotiations, Danish prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told delegates that people across the world were relying on them to reach an agreement, adding: "For the next two weeks Copenhagen will be Hopenhagen."

Commenting on the attendance of so many leading political figures and policymakers, Mr Rasmussen said their presence "reflects an unprecedented mobilisation of political determination to combat climate change".

By the end of the conference, he remarked that attendees must help to "deliver back to the world what was granted us here today - hope for a better future".

A number of measures to combat and adjust to climate change have already been proposed prior to the summit.

These include a plan between Britain and France to commit $10 billion (£6.1 billion) a year to help developing nations battle the effects of global warming.