As floods hit Britain, Mr Davey said the UK would be pushing for greater ambition on cutting carbon from all nations.

As part of the EU, the UK is likely to sign up to a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the world’s only existing treaty on cutting carbon emissions, that comes to an end this year.

At the moment this will mean the EU cutting carbon emissions by 20 per cent on 1990 levels by 2020 but Mr Davey said the target should be 30 per cent.

"The EU has led the way in calling for more ambition and in enshrining emissions reductions in law. I want to encourage it to move to a more ambitious 2020 emissions reduction target of 30 per cent,” he said.

Britain already has a domestic target to cut carbon emissions by 34 per cent by 2020 but if the EU increased its ambition this could mean the UK may have to ramp up efforts.

This may prove tricky in the current political climate.

Mr Davey has just failed to get a target to decarbonise the UK’s electricity supply by 2030 into the Energy Bill – despite the fact the Government’s own advisers recommended this would be the best way to meet targets.

Environmentalists argue that a commitment to decarbonise the UK’s electricity supply by 2030 would not only provide certainty for investors in green energy but set an example for the rest of the world.

Asad Rehman, Friends of the Earth’s International Climate Change Campaigner, said the UK should take every opportunity to set an example.

"Doha must come up with a science-based route map to navigate the world towards a carbon-free future – and developed nations such as the UK, who’ve done most to create the mess we’re in, must show leadership to ensure we get there.”

The Kyoto Protocol only asks rich nations to cut carbon and at the moment only the EU and a handful of other countries are willing to sign up to a second commitment period.

The rest of the world continues to work towards a global treaty for 2015 that will commit all countries to cutting carbon from 2020.

In the meantime, Mr Davey said it was important that other countries increase emissions targets for 2020.

For example, despite hosting the conference, Qatar has no targets for the next 8 years.

"Many developed and developing countries have already come forward with pledges under the UN framework to reduce their emissions by 2020. I want to encourage more to do so at Doha and beyond,” he said.