US establishes target for Greenhouse Gas Emissions

President Obama is offering a US target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the range of 17% below 2005 levels by 2020.  That target is consistent with legislation that passed in the House of Representatives, but differs from the Senate version of that same bill.  The pending legislation also calls for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to 30% below 2005 levels by 2025 and to 42% below 2005 levels by 2030.
President Obama will travel to Copenhagen on December 9 to participate in the UN’s Climate change conference. A number of White House officials and cabinet members will also attend the conference, including Energy Secretary Steven Chu. The US will also establish a U.S. Center at the conference, to provide an interactive forum for sharing the US’s story with the world.  The Center will feature keynote speeches by top US officials from December 9-17.  One speech will be by Secretary Chu on US leadership in energy efficiency and renewable energy. The State Department has established the “COP-15” web site and a Facebook page to mark the event.
The UN climate change conference is officially known as the 15th annual session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.