London, 19 September 2009 

(Reuters) - G20 leaders are unlikely to agree at a summit next week on how much money rich countries should pay poorer nations as part of talks aimed at reaching a global pact to fight climate change, G20 sources preparing the meeting in Pittsburgh said on Friday. 

"The temperature will be taken in New York at the U.N. General Assembly, but as it stands, G20 leaders are unlikely to discuss climate finance in any detail, or reach any agreement on this," one source told Reuters.

European Union leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday to discuss their stance ahead of the meeting of the Group of 20 industrialized and emerging economies agreed that poor nations would need around 100 billion euros a year by 2020.

The money would help poor countries cut emissions, adapt to possible crop failures and secure new water sources.

Europe wants rich countries among the Group of 20 to find up to 7 billion euros ($10.3 billion) annually for the developing world as an advance payment toward reaching a climate deal this year.

Finance has emerged as the main stumbling block to a global climate agreement that would replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

"The EU will continue to press the United States and others to reveal their positions on climate finance. But it is likely to be left until the last minute at climate talks in Copenhagen in December," another source said.

"The G20 needs to be careful. It must decide what impetus it can give the talks on the one hand, while at the same time it must avoid setting the talks back by raising the bar too high in Pittsburgh."

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