The pledges – which are all reiterations of previously stated positions - are a result of the accord's call for countries to register their national commitments by 31 January.

The accord, which was not formally adopted by the COP15 conference in Copenhagen, has been strongly criticised because of its non binding, “bottom-up” approach, which also allows countries to set their own baseline for emissions cuts.

Analysts say that with the current level of pledges, the world is heading for a 3.5C temperature increase, rather than the less than 2C rise which the Accord stipulates as its target.

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer said that the pledges “represent an important invigoration of the UN climate change talks under the two tracks of Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol.”

However, he added “Greater ambition is required to meet the scale of the challenge. But I see these pledges as clear signals of willingness to move negotiations towards a successful conclusion.”

The next round of formal UN negotiations is scheduled to be in Bonn, Germany, at the end of May 2010. The UNFCCC said that several countries “have indicated their wish to see a quick return to the negotiations with more meetings than the scheduled sessions.” “We are seeking further guidance from governments,” de Boer added.