In a communique at the end of the two-day conclave at St Andrews in Scotland the G20 ministers said: "The recovery is uneven and remains dependent on policy support. High unemployment is a major concern.

"To restore the global economy and financial system to health, we agreed to maintain support for the recovery until it is assured."

The communique said they wanted an "ambitious outcome" at December's UN climate change summit in Copenhagen, but there was no agreement on a climate finance figure.

"We committed to take action to tackle the threat of climate change and work towards an ambitious outcome in Copenhagen," the Communique said.

However, no agreement was made on financing options, nor on how much individual countries would contribute.

Britain's Chancellor of Exchequer Alistair Darling admitted that "while there are signs of improvement, we are not out of the woods yet.