Your article (Rich nations 'give up' on new climate treaty until 2020, 21 November) is a misrepresentation of the UK's position. The UK would like to see a global treaty signed straight away but some of the biggest economies, both developed and developing, are not ready. We aim at Durban to reach agreement on the need for a new treaty and to set out a timetable for its negotiation, concluding no later than 2015. The UK and our EU partners are also ready to agree to a second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol, as long as there is a hard commitment from the other major economies to a comprehensive global legal framework and to complete negotiations on it as soon as possible. This timeframe will have to be discussed in Durban, but we recognise global emissions will need to be peaking by 2020 to avoid dangerous temperature rises. I will set out the UK's position at Imperial College in London on Thursday.
Chris Huhne MP
Secretary of state for energy and climate change