International climate change negotiations resume today at a United Nations meeting in Mexico, but progress is expected to be limited, with ministers hoping merely to “keep the show on the road”.

The UN is hoping to avoid the scenes of chaos and acrimony that marred the end of last year’s climate summit in Copenhagen, in order to keep the negotiating process moving, with the objective of signing a new treaty on global warming next year at a crunch meeting in South Africa.

Chris Huhne, the UK’s energy and environment secretary, warned: “We are not expecting a final agreement [at Cancún]. The objective is to reinvigorate the talks. Success means getting the world to within shouting distance of a deal, keeping the show on the road and making practical progress on areas like forestry, finance and reduction commitments.”