British Prime Minister Tony Blair would like to deliver a breakthrough agreement on fighting global climate change, reports the Guardian.
Aware that his influence in domestic policy is dwindling, Mr Blair has decided to focus on four foreign policy issues during his remaining months in power in the belief that he can make progress on the environment, global trade talks, the Middle East peace plan and Africa.
All four subjects will be on the agenda at tomorrow's meeting with Ms Merkel. The prime minister will seek to capitalise on what Downing Street believes to be a sea change in attitudes to the risks of global warming to secure agreement on the elements of a post-Kyoto treaty to curb carbon emissions by the time Germany hosts the G8 summit in June.
Further discussions with Washington, Beijing and New Delhi are planned over the coming weeks in an attempt to build momentum for a deal.
The UK will be pressing the EU council next month for a bolder European energy and climate package that includes new greenhouse gas targets, commitments on renewables, energy efficiency and clean coal power stations. A senior government source said: "It is doable. We have a long way to go but we can get agreement on the basic goals of a new treaty - one that binds in all the main players, has some form of stabilisation goal for emissions and establishes a global price for carbon trading."