Copenhagen Obstacles Remain After New China-U.S. Emissions Goals

The United Nations-led Copenhagen climate change talks were still expected to face substantial hurdles despite recent announcements by China and the U.S. of new goals on cutting GHG emissions, the Washington Post reported. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will attend the talks. His country has set the goal of improving its energy efficiency up to 45 percent by 2020.

The U.S. is expected to focus on cutting its 1990 emissions 4 percent by 2020. Danish Minister Connie Hedegaard noted that, in contrast, developing countries were offering an 18-percent cut. Chung Rae-kwon, climate ambassador for South Korea, said the Chinese goal was "a great step forward" but he questioned whether it will "be captured in the agreement to be achieved in Copenhagen."

Indian environment minister Jairam Ramesh called the goal "a wake-up call" that meant India needed "to think hard about our climate strategy now and look for flexibility." A senior Obama administration official declared of the prospects for an agreement: "There's a very real chance of getting this done, but hurdles remain."

- A related article also appeared in the Washington Post, Nov. 29.