Is Obama pre-empting the climate talks scheduled for Copenhagen in December, or is he just trying to demonstrate to the world that the USA is serious about climate change? By all accounts, it appears the USA has finally entered the arena to battle global warming by announcing the formation of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate.
The Obama administration recently announced that it has invited 16 nations and the Secretary General of the UN, to a USA-hosted climate and energy forum in April.
"The Major Economies Forum will facilitate a candid dialogue among key developed and developing countries, help generate the political leadership necessary to achieve a successful outcome at the UN climate change negotiations that will convene this December in Copenhagen," explained a White House statement released on March 29, 2009. The statement also explained the desire to, “…advance the exploration of concrete initiatives and joint ventures that increase the supply of clean energy while cutting greenhouse gas emissions."
The Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate summit will take place at the State Department on April 27 and 28 and if all goes well, leaders will again gather in La Maddelena, Italy in July.
Nations invited to participate include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the UK, and the USA.
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