UK has appointed a special representative on climate change

John Ashton, a diplomat and government adviser, will be charged with building new international partnerships to tackle climate change.

Recently Mr Ashton headed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO)Environment, Science and Energy department, before leaving to form a new initiative called E3G, a 'change agency' that has brokered deals on climate and energy between developed and developing countries.

Friends of the Earth welcomed the move, saying "We welcome John Ashton in this role - he is a proven advocate with a track record in helping to move the global community forward on climate change, notably in terms of persuading Russia to ratify the Kyoto Protocol." But they added that Britain's ability to persuade other countries to curb emissions causing climate change is compromised by its own rising carbon dioxide emissions. "The impact of the government's advocacy with other countries would be very much enhanced if it was able to meet its own targets at home,"

Mr Ashton acknowledged this concern: "As a matter of diplomacy you can't go to countries like Brazil or India and say 'please do this' if you're not doing it yourself.

For a full report see the BBC here.