US:Stung by international criticism of his response to climate change in advance of next week's G8 summit in Germany, President George Bush has called for 15 major nations to agree by the end of next year on a global target for reducing greenhouse gases.
In his first international climate change initiative, Mr Bush called for countries identified as major producers of greenhouse gases to hold a series of meetings starting in the autumn.
After setting a goal for reducing emissions, the participating countries, which would include the US, China, India and major European countries, would be free to develop their own strategies to meet the target.
"Each country would establish midterm management targets and programmes that reflect their own mix of energy sources and future energy needs. In the course of the next 18 months, our nations will bring together industry leaders from different sectors of our economies, such as power generation, and alternative fuels and transportation," Mr Bush said.
The US has refused to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which requires industrialised countries to reduce greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2012 but exempts developing countries, including China and India.
Germany, which currently holds the EU and G8 presidencies, is proposing a target that would allow global temperatures to increase no more than two degrees Celsius before being brought back down but Mr Bush has rejected that approach.
"The United States takes this issue seriously. The new initiative I'm outlining today will contribute to the important dialogue that will take place in Germany next week," the president said.
Germany and Britain yesterday welcomed Mr Bush's remarks, which German chancellor Angela Merkel described as a "positive" intervention ahead of next week's meeting.
"The US president's speech makes it clear that no one can avoid the question of global warming any more. This is common ground on which to act," she said.
British prime minister Tony Blair was more enthusiastic, calling Mr Bush's plan "a big step forward" that represented a dramatic shift in US policy.
"For the first time America's saying it wants to be part of a global deal. For the first time it's setting its own domestic targets. For the first time it's saying it wants a global target for the reduction of emissions, and, therefore, for the first time I think the opportunity for a proper global deal," Mr Blair said.
Environmentalist groups were scornful, however, with the Friends of the Earth dismissing Mr Bush's plan as "a complete charade" and National Environmental Trust president Philip Clapp declaring that the president had already forfeited all credibility on the climate change issue.
"This is a transparent effort to divert attention from the president's refusal to accept any emissions reductions proposals at next week's G8 summit. After sitting out talks on global warming for years, the Bush administration doesn't have very much credibility with other governments on the issue," Mr Clapp said.
For its part the Irish Government reacted cautiously to Mr Bush's announcement. A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said the president's statement would be studied closely. "However, we believe that the United States should join the EU efforts on agreeing real reduction targets," the spokesman said.