While Barak Obama was finalizing his environmental cabinet choices, many poorer nations meeting at the U.N. climate summit in Poznan, Poland were looking to him and the leaders of other developed nations to do more to help struggling countries weather the impacts of climate change.

A rift between poor and wealthy nations about the extent of measures to address impacts such as droughts, floods, and sea level rise ended the talks on a sour note and don’t bode well for negotiating a treaty by this time next year, according to a Reuters report. The talks were the halfway point in the negotiations expected to culminate in Copenhagen in 2009.

In dispute was a perceived lack of ambition in cutting industrial emissions by wealthy nations and a dearth of funds to help developing countries adapt to a changing climate, according to the article. Only about $80 million—far from enough by all accounts—will be available to help those countries mitigate climate impacts. Poor nations wanted an increase in the levy that feeds the adaptation fund, but developed nations drew their ire by not supporting the plan, according to a BBC article.

"It is not clear how a 'strong political signal' can be sent by not paying for pollution that you have caused," Pakistan's delegate Farrukh Khan was quoted as saying. "We would have hoped that our partners would have taken this necessary step on the road to Copenhagen; but unfortunately the road to Copenhagen is being paved with good intentions."

Although discussions ended on a pessimistic note, some believe involving world leaders—especially Barak Obama—will make the situation less intractable. "They're going to have to enter full negotiating mode—full speed ahead," Angela Ledford-Anderson of the Pew Environment Group told the BBC. "But President-elect Barack Obama has said he's going to engage vigorously, so that brings new hope.”