Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said on Monday that world leaders in Copenhagen still face heated debates on climate change.

He stressed the need for compromise between rich and poor nations if the talks are to deliver on their promise of a climate deal.

Kevin Rudd, Australian Prime Minister, said, "I think though to land a strong agreement in Copenhagen we are going to have to see more compromise all around for the big developed economies, as well as the emerging economies, and not just on the level of ambition that is how much we reduce greenhouse gas emissions by that is critical but also how we finance this arrangement for the least developed economies and how we verify this entire system as well."

Rudd said the effects of climate change are being felt most acutely in Australia, and that a global agreement in Copenhagen is therefore in his country's immediate interest.

One of the hottest and most arid climates on Earth, Australia deals with severe droughts and extreme weather conditions all the time.

New figures show that 80 percent of the state of New South Wales is suffering from drought. Over 70 bush fires were still burning across the state on Monday.

(CCTV December 15, 2009)