BRUSSELS, (Reuters) – The European Union agreed the  basis of its financial contribution to a global climate change  deal on Thursday, but environmentalists said more was needed to  ensure success at global talks in Copenhagen in December.

Funding to help developing nations cope with climate change  is seen as the key to winning their support in fighting a  problem which they say was caused by rich, industrialised  states.

“The main principles of contribution should be the ability  to pay and the responsibility for emissions,” said draft  conclusions from the EU summit, which EU diplomats said had been  approved without amendments.   “All countries, except the least developed, should  contribute to the financing of the fight against climate change  in developing countries,” the draft added.
EU finance experts say poor countries will by 2020 need  about 100 billion euros ($140 billion) each year to cut carbon  dioxide emissions, and a further 20-50 billion euros to cope  with the impact on the climate.