New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, who will head to climate talks in Copenhagen on Tuesday, said he was confident progress can be made, according to local media on Monday.

"I am actually confident we will get a high level political agreement and I think that will leave us more work in 2010 to tie up the pieces," he said on radio Newstalk ZB Monday.

"It was always going to be difficult and that's why the enormous text that was prepared prior... was set aside and why the political focus has come on because that's the only progress that' s going to be made," he added.

He said while there were varying views on climate change, most New Zealanders should understand the value in his participation.

He was hopeful New Zealand could get progress on forestry and advance its initiative to drive more research into reducing emissions from agriculture.