"China and U.S. Try To Jumpstart U.N. Climate Talks"

"UNITED NATIONS -- China laid out a plan to curb carbon emissions by 2020 and U.S. President Barack Obama called on all nations to act now to tackle global warming, as world leaders tried to inject momentum into climate change talks.

With less than three months until a United Nation conference aimed at sealing the world's toughest pact to fight climate change, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Tuesday's leaders' summit to give negotiations an extra shove. ...

The one-day summit drew nearly 100 heads of state and government before official talks among 190 nations in Copenhagen in December to forge a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol, whose first phase runs out at the end of 2012.

Analysts and green groups gave cautious praise to China and Japan but said Obama's speech was long on rhetoric but short on specific pledges of U.S. action.

In his address, Chinese President Hu Jintao said China's new plan included vigorously developing renewable and nuclear energy and promised emissions would grow slower than economic growth in the future.

'We will endeavor to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by a notable margin by 2020 from the 2005 level,' Hu said."

Jeff Mason and Claudia Parsons report for Reuters September 23, 2009.

See Also:

"U.S. and China Vow Action on Climate but Cite Needs" (New York Times)

"Obama Asks for Climate Cooperation" (Los Angeles Times)

"UN Talks Fail To Set Climate Target" (Aljazeera)

"Led by China, U.S., Talks on Climate Crisis Move Slowly" (Dallas News/AP/wires)

"UN Global Warming Summit Gets Mixed Reviews" (Christian Science Monitor)