BRASILIA, (Reuters) - Work on a new U.N. deal on  global warming is threatened by a “climate apartheid” between  rich and poor countries, and emerging economies must do their  part by setting emissions targets, Brazil’s environment  minister said.

Carlos Minc told Reuters developing countries such as  Brazil, India and China should adopt targets to curb greenhouse  gas emissions but that rich countries need to honor their  pledges on existing climate targets and the transfer of  technology and finance to poor countries.

“I’m in favor of quantifiable and measurable targets to  curb emissions — different for each (developing) country,”  Minc said in an interview late on Wednesday.

Poor countries have so far been exempt from meeting targets  for greenhouse gas emissions that accelerate global warming and  had not been expected to set targets as part of a new deal. Brazil is seeking to be a key negotiator in talks in  Copenhagen in December aimed at agreeing a new climate treaty  to replace the Kyoto Protocol after 2012.

U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer said this week countries had  made no specific proposals, including financing mechanisms, for  a possible agreement, calling the slow progress “worrying.”

“Today there is a climate apartheid between developing and  developed countries. There’s very big mistrust,” said Minc,  wearing one the many multicolored waistcoats that have become a  trademark of the co-founder of Brazil’s Green Party.