Climate change negotiators seek breakthrough at informal New Zealand talks

Top-ranking international climate change negotiators gathered in Auckland Tuesday for a second New Zealand government initiative aimed at injecting "fresh thinking" into the new United Nations climate change agreement.

Welcoming delegates to the informal talks, New Zealand Climate Change Minister Tim Groser said the initiative would use a different meeting and approach to help the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change work toward an agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol by the end of 2015.

"The Protocol covers only 13 percent of global emissions, so it 's simply not sufficient to solve climate change. The new agreement will need to be truly global in its coverage," Groser said in a statement.

"New Zealand participates actively in the negotiations, and uses what influence it can to support collective, collaborative action. New Zealand's greenhouse gas footprint makes a minimal contribution to the global carbon build-up, but we take responsibility for our emissions, and act in other ways."

The New Zealand government has drawn criticism from home and abroad for withdrawing from the Kyoto Protocol and for watering down its emissions trading scheme.