US to Propose CO2 Emissions Reduction Target in Copenhagen

Monday a senior administration official said, President Barack Obama will decide in tye near future if he will attend a United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen in December.

Photo: US to Propose CO2 Emissions Reduction Target in Copenhagen

Sixty-five leaders, including from Germany, France and Brazil, have already committed to participating in the meeting.

The high-level summit will seek a global treaty on tackling climate change to replace the Kyoto Protocol, whose obligations to cut carbon emissions expire in 2012.

On November 12, the Danish prime minister formally invited the 191 other world leaders from United Nations member states to take part in the key talks which run from December 7-18.

As the leader of one of the world's two biggest polluters, Obama is under considerable pressure from US allies to attend the conference and show flexibility on new emission targets, AFP reports.

Meanwhile, with two weeks to go before the start of the climate change talks in Copenhagen, the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has expressed confidence that a political agreement can be reached there.

In an interview with the BBC's Nick Bryant, Mr Rudd said there was a high degree of political commitment among world leaders to secure a deal at Copenhagen, where more than 60 international leaders are expected to gather.

However, he conceded that a legally-binding treaty at the meeting was unlikely but insisted that a framework deal on the main issues was within reach: what temperature increase was sustainable, what targets or commitments were needed from the major economies, and the financial arrangements to secure change, BBC News reports.

It was also reported, the United States will propose an emissions reduction target at a U.N. climate change summit in Copenhagen, a senior administration official said on Monday.

The official also said, the emissions cut proposal would be consistent with the legislative process in the U.S. Congress.

Several heads of state and government have agreed to attend the meeting but Obama has not yet confirmed his attendance, Reuters reports.