US to announce target for cutting carbon emissions
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The US are to announce a target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions before the UN climate summit next month
The target is expected to be a reduction of about 17-20% from 2005 levels by 2020 and the previous absence of a US target has widely been seen as the single biggest obstacle to agreement at the summit.
President Barack Obama has not yet decided whether to attend the talks.
"There's been recognition that if we want to keep momentum going, numbers have to be put on the table," said Peter Bahouth, executive director of the US Climate Action Network, a network of organisations lobbying for action on the issue.
"There's been pressure for the US to come (to Copenhagen) with its hands full rather than empty, and I think what we're seeing are the results of that."
In the last week, Mr Obama has discussed climate change with a number of other world leaders including Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Hu Jintao of China and Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.
The House of Representatives passed a bill in June that would cap emissions and establish a national carbon trading scheme.
But progress of a similar bill through the Senate is not likely before March at the earliest.
Administration officials have indicated that the targets are currently being discussed with senior senators in an attempt to ensure that the Senate will back whatever target Mr Obama takes to Copenhagen.
There will also be pressure internationally for the US to say how much money it is prepared to transfer to poorer countries to help them fight climate change.
EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said at the weekend that the EU should pledge 30% now as a way of showing commitment.
But Saleemul Huq, a climate change specialist with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) who works closely with a number of developing country governments, suggested the target would be well received as a worthy first step.
"I think it's an extremely good signal that the Obama administration is willing to put a target forward and not wait for Congress,".
"The targets that everyone is taking to Copenhagen are the bases for negotiation; and hopefully, the negotiations will see everyone coming up with more ambitious targets - otherwise there's no point in going to Copenhagen, we could leave it all up to the US Congress.
"The other important factor is whether President Obama is willing to go to the summit - if he does, that would be a very good sign."