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Bid to jumpstart climate talks Bid to jump-start climate talks
(about 3 hours later)
About 100 world leaders are to gather at the UN to try and revitalise deadlocked talks on climate change. About 100 world leaders are due to gather at the UN in New York to try to revitalise talks on climate change.
The summit comes two months ahead of a key meeting in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, aimed at approving a global treaty on cutting carbon emissions. Attention is likely to focus on Chinese President Hu Jintao, who is expected to unveil stringent new plans to tackle global warming.
China, one of the world's biggest polluters, is expected to announce ambitious plans on climate change. The meeting comes two months ahead of a summit in Copenhagan aimed at approving a global climate change treaty.
Negotiators are trying to agree on a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol on carbon emissions. Negotiators are trying to agree on a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol to limit carbon emissions.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called Tuesday's summit to try and inject political momentum into stalled climate talks. Chinese targets
But rich nations have not pledged to cut enough carbon to take the world out of danger. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called Tuesday's meeting an attempt to inject momentum into the deadlocked climate talks.
We saw China being absolutely in the lead in terms of putting together an economic recovery package which had green economic growth at absolutely the heart of it Yvo de Boer, UN climate chiefWe saw China being absolutely in the lead in terms of putting together an economic recovery package which had green economic growth at absolutely the heart of it Yvo de Boer, UN climate chief
Poor countries refuse to commit to binding caps, saying this would prevent them from developing their economies. According to the BBC's UN correspondent, Barbara Plett, discussions have stalled because rich nations are not pledging to cut enough carbon to take the world out of danger, while poorer countries are refusing to commit to binding caps, saying this would prevent them from developing their economies.
China's role is crucial, because it is both an emerging economy, and a big polluter. China's role is crucial, because it is both an emerging economy and a big polluter, our correspondent says.
The UN's chief climate change negotiator, Yvo de Boer, says he expects an important announcement from Beijing. The UN's chief climate change negotiator, Yvo de Boer, says he expects an important announcement from Beijing during the meeting.
He said: "China domestic policy is already very ambitious but yes I do expect something dramatic. "China domestic policy is already very ambitious but yes I do expect something dramatic," he said.
"If you look at what happened in the course of the crisis the financial crisis we saw China being absolutely in the lead in terms of putting together an economic recovery package which had green economic growth at absolutely the heart of it in a sincere and serious way." President Hu Jintao is expected to announce "carbon intensity targets" aimed at making Chinese industry more efficient, so that less carbon is produced per unit of energy generated.
There is concern about the world's other big polluter, the United States. China and other many developing economies are still very reliant on coal
President Barack Obama has recognised climate change as a pressing issue, unlike the previous administration. China has already leapfrogged the United States to become the world's biggest wind power market, and is a growing force in solar power - and analysts say President Hu may advance the country's renewable energy targets even further.
But critics say Washington is moving too slowly on carbon legislation which does not go far enough. But the BBC correspondent in Beijing, Quentin Sommerville, says it is unlikely that the Chinese will agree to a cap on their carbon emissions.
A demonstration of political will by both China and the US would be important to breaking the deadlock in negotiations. Despite all its advances in green technology, China still gets 70% of its energy from coal - and as its economy increases, this means yet more growth in greenhouse gases, our correspondent says.
Pressure on US
There is also concern about the world's other big polluter, the United States.
President Barack Obama has recognised climate change as a pressing issue, unlike the previous administration, our UN correspondent says.
He has already announced a target of returning to 1990 levels of greenhouse emissions by 2020, but critics say Washington is moving too slowly on legislation which does not go far enough.
President Obama is currently dogged by domestic issues such as the economy and healthcare reforms, but his speech to the UN meeting will still be watched for signs he is willing to fulfil his pledge to take the lead in reaching a global carbon deal.
A demonstration of political will by both China and the US will be important in breaking the deadlock in negotiations, correspondents say.
China and the US each account for about 20% of the world's greenhouse gas pollution created when coal, natural gas or oil are burned.
The European Union is next, generating 14%, followed by Russia and India, which each account for 5%.