Prime Minister John Key says expectations of a binding climate change treaty coming out of the next major United Nations climate conference are being played down.
A UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December failed to settle on an agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol.
Hopes are now pinned on the next major meeting due to be held in Mexico in December.
But Mr Key says there are very low expectations coming out of Mexico at the moment.
Early discussions are starting, but he says the Copenhagen summit proved that the process is a difficult one.
