Darling urges divided G20 to reach climate finance deal

About 40 world leaders plan to go to Copenhagen next month to improve the chances of clinching a U.N. climate deal, the United Nations said.

Darling has admitted that the chances of getting a figure agreed on the cost of climate change is unlikely but said that some advance has to be made to send the right signal.

"There will be quarrelling on climate -- we did not manage to agree on anything. But something has to be included in the communique otherwise there will be a scandal. Britain is very keen," a Russian delegate told Reuters.

Finance ministers and central bankers are also expected to maintain their pledge to keep emergency economic support packages in place for now and come up with a new framework to ensure closer policy coordination and rebalance the global economy.

"It's very important we get that framework for future growth, that we don't simply accept there is no alternative but a decade of austerity, of low growth and unemployment but instead we raise our sights, raise our ambition,." Darling said.

The head of the International Monetary Fund's policy-steering committee, Egyptian Finance Minister Youssef Boutros-Ghali, told Reuters on Saturday he did not expect major breakthroughs at the summit.

"The climate issue is on the table, though it was not discussed yesterday night. But I don't think anyone expects a major breakthrough. This is not a breakthrough meeting," he said.

(Writing by Sumeet Desai; editing by Patrick Graham)