Some progress at U.S. climate talks

By Jeff Mason and Deborah Zabarenko

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-hosted climate talks with the world's biggest greenhouse gas polluters concluded on Tuesday with signs of progress but sizable differences as nations work toward a deal this year to fight global warming.

President Barack Obama called the Major Economies Forum to relaunch a process that began under his predecessor, George W. Bush, whose initiative drew skepticism from countries who feared it would circumvent wider United Nations negotiations.

The two-day meeting was meant to pave the way for international talks in Copenhagen in December to forge a follow-up agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, which limits climate-warming greenhouse emissions and expires in 2012.

Results were mixed. Delegates praised the constructive atmosphere and Washington's shift on climate policy, while activists and some European officials said more needed to be done.

"I come out of this meeting if anything a bit more optimistic," said Todd Stern, the U.S. special envoy for climate change, referring to the potential for a global deal.

"That does not change the fact that the issues are extremely difficult, that it's not going to be easy to reach an agreement."

German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said a lot had changed since the Bush process but that greater commitments from industrialized nations, including the United States, would be necessary to succeed in Copenhagen.

"It was very clear that the Americans are moving a lot," he told reporters. "Measured by what Europeans believe needs to be done to fight climate change, we're still very far apart from each other."

Obama's goal is to cut U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by roughly 15 percent by 2020, back to 1990 levels. The European Union has pledged to cut emissions 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and says it would pursue a 30 percent cut if other industrialized nations follow suit.

Obama wants the United States to lead in the climate change fight, but U.S. officials have indicated they do not see a lot of room for maneuver on the 2020 goal. Obama aims to cut U.S. emissions more than 80 percent by 2050.

RESULTS, MORE MEETINGS

Environmental groups criticized the Washington meeting for not moving toward a more aggressive midterm target.

"Unfortunately, while the last two days brought soaring and inspiring rhetoric, reflecting the profound sea change in U.S. climate policy, it brought little in the way of real progress," said Carroll Muffett of environmental group Greenpeace.

At the meeting there were discussions on technology, including carbon capture and storage. Delegates ran out of time to talk about financing issues, one official said.

Bush opposed the Kyoto Protocol, saying it would hurt the U.S. economy and unfairly exempted fast-growing economies such as China and India.