Rising from a recent summit on Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) organized by a group of developing countries in Maldives to fine-tune their position at the next month's climate change meet in Copenhagen, zero carbon tolerance has been canvassed.

In his inaugural address, President of the host nation, Mr. Mohamed Nasheed called on all vulnerable and developing country to embrace a carbon neutral future.

In the Forum's keynote address, Nasheed lamented the lack of progress being made in international climate change negotiations and called on poor, vulnerable countries to show moral leadership by shifting from fossil fuel to renewable energy.

Delegates at the summit include President Tong of Kiribati, as well as foreign and environment ministers from Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania, and representatives from Barbados and Bhutan.

China, Denmark, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, the UK and the United States also attended the summit.

Nasheed also said the meet was to enable the most vulnerable group of nations to climate change fashion out a common position of negotiation to avoid suffering and dieing in perpetual silence.

He noted that "countries that have the foresight to green their economies today will be the winners of tomorrow" and called on developing countries to break away from carbon-based growth to embrace green technology as a way to shame larger polluters to clean up their act.

According to him, "a group of vulnerable, developing countries committed to carbon neutral development would send a loud message to the west".

"We don't want a global suicide pact we want a global survival pact.

Maldivian organisers of the Forum say the aim of the gathering is to amplify the voices of vulnerable, poor nations, who often go unheard in international negotiations, stressing that "they hope the Forum will mean a better outcome at Copenhagen for vulnerable, developing nations".

Maldivian Environment Minister, Mohamed Aslam said in his welcome address that noted that "we have waited for over a decade for something to happen. But nothing has happened. We refuse to sit and do nothing".

Environmentalist Mark Lynas, who helped draw up the Maldives 10-year carbon neutral plan, told participants that the world needs to quit carbon so as to liberate the globe from the vagaries of pollution and climate change.

In March this year, the Maldives announced plans to become the world's first carbon neutral nation.

The carbon neutral plan includes proposals to switch from oil to 100 percent renewable energy production.

Earlier this month, President Nasheed unveiled plans to build a 75 Mega Watt wind farm in North Male atoll, which would provide 40 percent of the country's electricity and cut the Maldives carbon dioxide emissions by a quarter.

Baring his mind on the target of the developing nations, Nasheed made it clear that "Copenhagen is our date with destiny".

"Let us go there with a better plan. When we look around the world today, there are few countries showing moral leadership on climate change. There are plenty of politicians willing to point the finger of blame. But there are few prepared to help solve a crisis that, left unchecked, will consume us all. Few countries are willing to discuss the scale of emissions reductions required to save the planet.

"And the offers of adaptation support for the most vulnerable nations are lamentable.

The sums of money on offer are so low; it is like arriving at an earthquake zone with a dustpan and brush. We don't want to appear ungrateful but the sums hardly address the scale of the challenge.

"We are gathered here because we are the most vulnerable group of nations to climate change. The problem is already on us, yet we have precious little with which to fight. Some might prefer us to suffer in silence but today we have decided to speak.

"And so I make this pledge today: we will not die quietly. We want to do what is best for the planet. And what is best for our economic self-interest.

"Low-carbon technologies now exist, to deliver all the goods and services we need. Let us make the goal of using them.

A group of vulnerable, developing countries committed to carbon neutral development would send a loud message to the outside world. If vulnerable, developing countries make a commitment to carbon neutrality; those opposed to change have nowhere left to hide.

"We know this is not an easy step to take, and that there might be dangers along the way. We want to shine a light, not loudly demand that others go first into the dark.

"I think a bloc of carbon-neutral, developing nations could change the outcome of Copenhagen. At the moment every country arrives at the negotiations seeking to keep their own emissions as high as possible. They never make commitments, unless someone else does first.