France lends Mexico money to improve air quality

The French Agency for Development (AFD) has agreed to lend the Mexican government €185 million (£161.36 million) to help the country with its fight against climate change.

According to the Xinhua news agency, the Central American nation will plough the money into a scheme to develop methods of energy and goods production which do not generate carbon monoxide.

Scientists and technical support will also be on offer to the Mexican government through the AFD, it noted.

At the UN's Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December, an agreement was reached to establish a fund from developed countries to help poorer nations deal with the effects of global warming and effectively combat it.

Mexico is due to host a follow-up summit to the negotiations which took place in the Danish capital at the end of last year.

World leaders will head to Mexico City for the talks later in 2010, when the representatives will attempt to reach a deal over global CO2 emissions reduction targets.

Posted by Claire Manning