Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday pointed to capitalism and liberal economics as the main causes of man-made climate change, and called for a new global economic system.

"Capitalism and liberal economics destroy nature," Ahmadinejad said at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen.

The values of a society focused on consumption are detrimental to nature, he added.

The Iranian leader said that the United States, which accounts for 5% of the global population, consumes disproportionately large amounts of energy, and has a military budget comparable with that of all other countries put together.

"What will happen should other countries follow that model of behavior?" he said. "The only solution is return to human and spiritual values."

Ahmadinejad said thinkers and scientists worldwide should gather to work out criteria for human wellbeing on the basis of moral values and "create a new economic system based on human dignity where consumption will be based on real human needs."

COPENHAGEN, December 17 (RIA Novosti)