Top UN climate change official Christiana Figueres said on Wednesday that the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar, beginning November 26, must deliver its objectives to speed up global action towards a low-emission future where everyone has the chance of a sustainable life.

“Doha is as important as any COP before it. Governments have agreed it is imperative to stay at least below a two degree average global temperature rise to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. But they know this cannot be achieved without further dramatic transformation in energy production and use, and without effective support to developing nations so they can build their own sustainable futures,” said Ms Figueres.

“A faster response to climate change is necessary and possible, both in terms of the international policy response and increasing action at national and sub-national policy level and from global business. Doha must make sure the response is accelerated,” the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary said.

In Doha, governments are expected to usher in a renewed commitment under the Kyoto Protocol, move the broad infrastructure of support they have been building for action in the developing world into firm implementation, and decide how to resolve policy issues that remain outstanding under the UN Climate Change Convention (see below for further details).

Governments will also decide how to stick to the task and timetable they set themselves to reach an effective, fair and ambitious universal climate agreement that is to be adopted in 2015 and to enter into force from 2020, and to raise the current inadequate global ambition to address climate change and its impacts before 2020.

In addition, countries meeting in Doha need to reach a better understanding on how to mobilize long-term finance to support action in developing nations, which they have agreed must reach a level of USD 100 billion a year by 2020.

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