Coming up with a deal on tackling climate change at the Copenhagen summit is particularly important for developing countries.

This is the view of international development secretary Douglas Alexander, who told the Independent that climate change is a real and current crisis for many developing nations across the world.

Therefore, he believes that establishing a global accord on carbon emissions at this year's climate change summit in Denmark is "vital" for the future of these countries.

Mr Alexander added that the recent agreement between G8 nations was an "important stepping stone on the road to Copenhagen".

Established and developed economies are largely responsible for the ecological problems that threaten us today, so we must fulfil our responsibilities to our fellow human beings.

World leaders from countries including the UK and the US recently agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.

Prime minister Gordon Brown commended this as a historic step towards establishing a global deal and changing "the way we look at energy policy in the future".