In a manifesto launched today, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged UK leadership in tackling climate change during the run-up to the UN climate summit in Copenhagen this December. Alongside the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband, he has outlined his vision for a new deal where the emissions of developed nations will peak by 2020 (we believe the deal should be no later than 2015) and decline thereafter.

This is to be accompanied by international funding of $100 billion per annum by 2020 to help poor nations adapt to climate change and invest in low carbon technologies. Also launched are plans for the UK to reduce its carbon emissions, including an action guide for individuals to reduce their own energy use.

Stop Climate Chaos welcomes Brown's commitment to keeping global warming under 2 degrees C. We also support his call for international funding and his pledge to provide its fair share; this is the first time a leader of a large economy has made such a pledge.

However, many of the details in the manifesto need to be challenged. The reliance on carbon markets, size of the funding (it's not enough, nor soon enough), and what practical steps the UK will take to reduce emissions from the energy sector and aviation will be accounted for. As WDM have also pointed out, how can this positive vision possibly sit alongside plans for new dirty coal power stations and a new runway at Heathrow?

By focussing on money, Brown has put his finger on the deal-breaker issue at Copenhagen however. And not a moment too soon.