The Hague conference fell apart after the US would not agree with the European Union, or the developing world, on carbon sinks - forests and plants that absorb carbon dioxide created mainly by the burning of fossil fuels.
The US wanted to avoid cutting its emissions by obtaining a credit from managing its existing forests as carbon sinks.
David Payton, director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade environment division, said he was optimistic of progress.
"If there is a slowdown in negotiating the Kyoto Protocol it is not going to make the issue of climate change any less of a pressing issue.
"We can't close our eyes and let this one go away. If there was just such a standoff between the United States and the European Union ... that we could not get agreement this year ... that would represent a slowdown.
"New Zealand is working very hard to prevent that because we are committed to a working, ratifiable Kyoto Protocol that makes it possible for all those countries with commitments to fulfil them."
While New Zealand had a modest commitment of reducing emissions, mainly from the transport sector, to 1990 levels within 2008 to 2012, it wanted to be an example to other countries with more significant commitments.
The climate spokesman for the Environmental Defence Society, Garry Law, who attended The Hague conference, said New Zealand should use the meeting to persuade the US to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
"With a new US Administration headed by a new President who has an oil industry background and who has spoken about the Kyoto Protocol in negative terms, the first meeting of the umbrella group will be the first critical opportunity to see if an agreement is still possible, or if all bets are off."
Herald Online feature: Climate change
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
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Draft summary: Climate Change 2001
United Nations Environment Program
World Meteorological Organisation
Framework Convention on Climate
