Environment ministers hold first high-level meeting

Environment ministers and other officials from nearly 50 nations have attended the first high-level meeting of the Copenhagen conference.

European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas gestures during a  news conference at the Bella Center during the U.N. Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) COP15 in Copenhagen December 12, 2009. REUTERS/Casper Christoffersen/Scanpix

Representatives from major carbon emitting nations discussed their differences during the six-hour meeting on Sunday. Many of the ministers described the talks as positive.

Stavros Dimas, EU Environment Commissioner, said, "I think we are progressing and very positive that we're going to have an ambitious agreement in Copenhagen. Thank you."

ED Miliband, British Energy Secretary,said, "The atmosphere in the room was a positive atmosphere. As I say I think everyone realizes the urgency of what we are undertaking but we need to move faster, all of us need to move faster in the coming days if we are to get the agreement that we need. And we need to overcome the major issues we face, like reducing emissions, the finance that is required and the transparency of commitments that all countries need to make."