Glad to see he's stepping up a bit more on this issue. As one of the leading contributors to the problem, it is only normal that other countries expect the US to show some leadership on the issue. From Obama's perspective it also can't be easy working with a substantial portion of the population and Congress that do not believe it's even an issue. That said, showing leadership is what the job is supposed to be about. That's what people vote for in elections.
The White House said today it would go to the Copenhagen climate change summit with a proposed target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions after facing international pressure to commit to stronger action on climate change.
An administration official told reporters that President Barack Obama would propose the targets before the climate meeting, which is less than three weeks away. The move removes the biggest obstacle to a political deal at Copenhagen.
America is the only major industrialised country that has yet to reveal its emissions reduction plan. The official did not give details on the stringency of the proposed cuts, but it is thought likely they would range from 14% to 20% from 2005 levels – still below those put forward by the EU and other industrialised countries.
