The United Nations climate chief has urged the newly re-elected Obama administration to ensure the US plays a central role in driving international climate change talks later this month.

Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN climate change secretariat, the UNFCCC, declined to offer any political commentary on Obama’s re-election, but predicted the President’s victory would help provide continuity to existing negotiations.

Negotiators have raised fears that the US presidential election and imminent changes to the Chinese government’s leadership could undermine the latest round of international climate change negotiations in Doha, later this month.

The Doha Summit faces a number of significant challenges, including the need to extend the Kyoto Protocol before it lapses at the end of the year and the requirement for diplomats to agree a roadmap for delivering a new legally-binding climate change treaty that can be agreed by 2015 and brought into effect from 2020.

The talks will also focus on working out a new roadmap for the future of the Long-term Cooperative Action (LCA) working group, which is focused on climate funding, adaptation, and technology transfer mechanisms.

However, to date the US has been reluctant to support steps towards a legally binding agreement, repeatedly leaving the US negotiating team at logger-heads with developing and emerging economies on a host issues ranging from climate funding to emissions reporting.

Figueres reiterated that it was crucial that countries come to an agreement on how rich countries would deliver a promised $100bn a year Green Climate Fund to help poorer countries tackle the effects of climate change.

“The US has the opportunity to contribute to the very important outcomes that need to come out of Doha and show the leadership that comes with the type of economy and size of economy that the United States is,” said Figueres.

Her comments were echoed yesterday by European Union Climate Action Commissioner Connie Heddegard, who wrote on Twitter: “Congratulations Mr. #Obama! Don’t forget climate change this time. We need strong US involvement.”

Figueres also said that she was optimistic about the outcome of the Doha Summit, predicting the second period of the Kyoto Protocol would start on the first of January 2013, when the first phase expires.

“Governments have been working very hard and seriously over the last 11 months to prepare for the decisions that they will take in Doha,” she said. “I have no evidence other than commitment both to hard work and finding a common ground for agreement.”

Her comments came as the UNFCCC launched an initiative promoting projects that have helped developing countries to curb emissions or adapt to climate change, while at the same time benefitting the urban poor.

Backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, judges selected nine of the best projects which unite governments and businesses in supporting innovative sustainable development projects.

The winning initiatives included an electric bus and rickshaw project in Sri Lanka and the Lifestraw Carbon For Water project in Kenya, which uses carbon financing to fund household water purification systems.

“We are very excited to showcase this year’s lighthouse activities as they demonstrate the commitment by communities, civil society organizations, local governments and private businesses to take concrete action to address climate change,” said Figueres.

“The examples are inspiring and encouraging, not least for governments who have already set the course towards greater climate resilience, but who need to take the next essential steps to galvanize the speed and scope of climate action.”

Meanwhile, US green groups and clean tech firms continued to celebrate Obama’s victory, predicting that he will continue with efforts to tighten greenhouse gas regulations and accelerate investment in low carbon infrastructure.

Commentators said it was unlikely that Obama will be able to pass sweeping and ambitious climate and energy legislation as long as Republicans continue to control the House of Representatives.

But there is mounting optimism he will be able to retain incentives for clean technologies and continue his push to regulate greenhouse gas emissions through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Shares in carbon-intensive energy companies fell on the news of Obama’s re-election as investors weighed up the prospect of tigher environmental regulations. Shares in Peabody Energy fell 9.6 per cent Wednesday, while Arch Coal saw its shares fall 12.5 percent and Alpha Natural Resources’ shares dropped 12.2 per cent.