As UN climate open in Doha, NGOs call for action, ambition and equity

CAN called for countries to make Doha about action, ambition and equity. Specifically, called not only for developed countries to sign on to second commitment period of the world's only legally binding climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, but for the nations involved to increase their emission reductions within the treaty and to close the loopholes that existed within it which would let 30 billion tonnes of carbon escape into the atmosphere.

Developed countries also needed to increase their emissions reductions commitments as current pledges were so far inadequate to keep the temperature rise below 2 degrees as well as to lock in finance to support mitigation action by developing nations.

Tasneem Essop, International Climate Policy Advocate for WWF, said the inadequate performance by developed countries was eroding trust which would have implications for the negotiations.

"While developing countries can take on more action, they can only do so if developed countries meet their commitments to provide finance," she said. Martin Kaiser, head of the Greenpeace delegation, said the way countries approached the Kyoto Protocol would set the tone for the talks.

"EU leaders need to reject pressure from the coal and oil industry, and strengthen its legal limitation of atmospheric pollution without loopholes," he said. "This send out a challenge to US President Barrack Obama and other world leaders to restart their international engagement in the interests of their citizens and millions people around the globe."

"We call on Europe to step up at this conference, and criticise Japan and Canada for refusing to sign up to Kyoto's second commitment period," he said. Wael Hmaidan, Director of CAN International, said the Doha talks were about what kind of world we want to live in.