Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Friday called for upcoming climate talks in Copenhagen to launch a 10-billion-dollar fund to help developing countries tackle global warming.
Brown, who outlined the proposal in broadcast interviews with British journalists ahead of a Commonwealth summit in Trinidad, was "optimistic" it would be adopted, according to his official government website.
Britain would contribute 1.3 billion dollars to the fund over three years, he said.
The plan aligns with demands from developing countries that developed nations pay them to slow deforestation and reduce carbon outputs in order to make up for economic disadvantages.
Brown said he believed his proposal would help break a "deadlock" over funds that was dogging the run-up to the December 7-18 Copenhagen talks.
"That means that the poorer countries must have an understanding that the richer countries will help them adapt to climate change and make the necessary adjustments in their economies," he said.
"We have got to provide some money to help that. Britain will do so, the rest of Europe will do so and I believe America will do so as well."
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who was invited to speak on climate change at the Trinidad summit at Brown's invitation despite not being a Commonwealth member, backed a similar position in a joint statement issued with Brazil early this month.