South Africa on Monday called on the business sector in this country to help the government realize its plans to cut carbon emissions in response to climate change.

"We expect business to be proactive in terms of helping South Africa realize its goal of moving towards a low carbon economy... business and government can work together in this regard to determine trade-offs towards low carbon emissions technology," International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said.

According to the official Bua News, she met with CEOs from various private sector companies to update them on the South African government's position ahead of the all-important climate change summit to take place in Durban later this year.

The 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as the gathering is known, is expected to draw more than 20,000 participants from more than 100 countries, who will be seeking a legally-binding agreement to address global warming.

The talks are also expected to signal whether nations would be able to sign on the new commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, a treaty that binds nations to measurable carbon emission cuts.

She said it was imperative that the summit in Durban does not turn into a "repetition" of the Copenhagen talks, which were criticized for failing to reach consensus on critical issues such as adaptation and mitigation.

The business sector proposed a formation of a task team that will ensure the sector and government spoke with one voice ahead of the summit, which kicks off at Durban's International Convention Center on Nov. 28.