Geneva, Sep 3 (DPA) The members of the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Thursday approved an agreement to set up a global mechanism for sharing information on the climate and weather.

The Global Framework for Climate Services would be established in stages, coming into effect by 2011. It is designed to help countries, particularly poorer nations, cope and adapt with new environments as a result of climate change.

Later this year, delegations will gather in Copenhagen to try and hammer out a political agreement on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, in an attempt to slow or halt changes to the climate already occurring.

'We need a deal that will enable deep cuts in emissions ... that promotes green growth ... that that will provide the resources and structures needed for adaptation,' Ban told the WMO's third World Climate Conference in Geneva before the agreement, warning that 'we will pay a high price if we fail'.

Environmentalists want governments to agree to cap emissions in such a way as to prevent a two degree centigrade rise in the planet's temperature.

In his remarks to the Geneva conference, Ban said the deal had to be 'ambitious, comprehensive and fair' and 'based on sound science'.

'We need ambitious mid-term mitigation targets by developed countries,' Ban said, while 'developing countries need to act to slow the growth of their emissions.