"We're at a critical stage of negotiations," says Dr Stephen Cornelius, Deputy Global Leader for Climate & Energy Practice at WWF International, speaking to AFP as the COP29 climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, near their end. On Wednesday, pressure mounted on wealthy nations to put a figure on the table as negotiators continue to seek a deal on climate assistance for poorer countries. "We need to have a strong agreement on finance here," says Cornelius, "I think that's the key thing." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES