SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - MLAs heading to Copenhagen, Denmark this week say the federal government isn't doing enough to fight climate change, and they want to make sure Ottawa gets the message while they're there.

The United Nations conference on climate change began on Monday. Five MLAs and two territorial government bureaucrats are heading to the 11-conference this Saturday.

Michael Miltenberger, minister of Environment and Natural Resources, said he hopes the groundwork will be laid for a international treaty that will bring much of the world together to fend off climate change.

"The hope is, at this point, while they don't think there'll be an agreement on a formal treaty (in Copenhagen), they'll reach a political accord that will set a foundation for a treaty to be signed in Mexico in 2010," said Miltenberger.

"That's the broad goal for the trip."

Miltenberger said the territorial government has been setting its own targets for reducing greenhouse emissions because the federal government's targets - reducing emissions by 20 per cent from levels in 2006 by 2020 - are too low in the eyes of the GNWT.

The territorial government's current greenhouse gas strategy calls for carbon emissions within territorial government operations to be reduced by 10 per cent by 2011.

"The federal government has taken a position on the international table that, on a comparative basis, doesn't have them at the head of the pack in terms of the ambition of their targets," said Miltenberger.

He said while in meetings with other ministers from around Canada, he's heard much agreement that the federal government's targets should be a minimum, and the objective should be to aim higher.

"We're going to set our own targets, our own goals," said Miltenberger.

"If we can reduce our own greenhouse emissions in the territory by half, that would be a huge, huge accomplishment that won't be easily matched by any jurisdiction."

Environment Canada has an inventory of the greenhouse gases emitted from all provinces and territories between 1990 to 2005.

In 2005, the NWT and Nunavut emitted a combined total of 1,580 kilo-tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Alberta rated highest in the nation with a total of 233,000 kilo-tonnes of emissions, and the Yukon rated the lowest with 418 kilo-tonnes.

He said the goal of the $86,000 GNWT trip to Copenhagen is to plead for action on behalf of the North. Miltenberger claims the North is seeing the effects of climate change faster than much of the rest of the world.

"For us, we want to take this opportunity to make the case as a Northern jurisdiction to press the urgency of the matter, to encourage governments including our own national government and everybody else to be as ambitious as possible.

"We're going to have opportunities to meet other folks that are there - delegates from other countries, from organizations that are dealing with the effects of climate change on the ground in ways that maybe we haven't thought of."

Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington is throwing his support behind the MLAs' trip.

"The Northerners' role in the Copenhagen conference could be valuable," said Bevington.

"I view it as completely legitimate for people to travel to Copenhagen to show support, and I want to encourage them to do everything they can when they're there to make this world occasion work."

Bevington said climate change is one of the main reasons why he sought public office.

"I think these people can do a good job. I have all kinds of faith in our environment minister, Michael Miltenberger," said Bevington, who shares a home community in Fort Smith with the minister.

"He's done a great job in advancing many significant environmental issues and he has good connections with all the environment leaders from around the country."

Miltenberger said the GNWT's current plans to combat climate change are very ambitious.

"We're spending millions on our alternative energy programs," said Miltenberger, adding the government is considering whether to install mini-hydro facilities in Lutsel K'e, expanding hydro power into Whati and Fort Providence, and installing wind turbines in Tuktoyaktuk.

"All those things are geared towards minimizing our reliance on diesel, on fossil fuels, limiting and cutting our greenhouse gas emissions," he said.

Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley said he wants to see "a commitment to science-based targets for making reductions" in any agreement that may come out of the Copenhagen conference.

Bromley, however, did not want to comment on how he'd like to see these targets achieved.

Bromley travelled with Mackenzie Delta MLA David Krutko to Scandinavia last spring on a $54,000 trip to examine the use of biomass energy in those countries.

In a report which detailed the findings of that trip, it was written that the European Union and several Nordic countries have introduced "strong measures of government control over energy production and use."

Bromley said this is something he'd support in Canada and the NWT.

"It's wrestling control back from the now-huge energy sector of corporations," said Bromley.

Attending the Copenhagen conference besides Miltenberger, Bromley, and Krutko, are Premier Floyd Roland, Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy, plus two GNWT bureaucrat. Travel costs for a third GNWT bureaucrat are being covered by the federal government.

The group plans to be back in Yellowknife on Dec. 20.