A Tanzania Investment Centre official has urged the private sector to combat climate change.

The centre's the acting executive director, Mr Raymond Mbilinyi, said by so doing the businesses would be operating responsibly.

In the process, they could conserve forests and have clean fuel sources. "You can't isolate Tanzania from the rest of the world as far as climate change is concerned. So it's high time we cooperated to find solutions to the problem," he said.

The centre will start a campaign for investors to participate in combating climate change in their operations. He was officiating at a meeting to promote investments in clean development mechanism (CDM) projects to reduce carbon emissions.

According to him, one of the biggest CDM projects is that at the Mtoni dumpsite.

Upon its completion, the project will generate between 2.5 and five megawatts. The Dar es Salaam City Council and Stabile Globus of Italy are carrying out the project. An official with the United Nations Environment Programme, Dr Todd Ngara, urged the Government to ensure the success of the project.

An environment official in the Vice-President's Office, Mr Kanizio Manyika, said Tanzania was well prepared to present its case in the next month's Copenhagen Environment conference, which is expected to come up with a new climate deal to replace the Kyoto agreement.

"The Copenhagen meeting is coming at the right time and Tanzania has already a well-founded position that will be presented with credible arguments to defend its interests and those of other poor countries," he said.

He said Tanzania was given the responsibility of coordinating the least developed countries' position in the Copenhagen meeting to ensure such nations get a fair deal.