The United States Nov. 25 announced that it will put a medium-term emissions reduction target of 17 percent on the table at international climate talks in Copenhagen, with the caveat that a final commitment hinges on congressional passage of domestic legislation.rnPresident Obama is prepared to offer a U.S. emissions reduction target "in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels in 2020 and ultimately in line with final U.S. energy and climate legislation," the White House said in a statement.rnA 17 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions matches the target included in a climate bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives June 26 (H.R. 2454), but is less stringent than the 20 percent reduction included in pending Senate legislation.rnPrior to the announcement, the United States was the lone holdout among industrial nations in unveiling a target in the run-up to the Copenhagen meeting. The 17 percent-by-2020 target announced by the United States is well below the emissions reductions pledged by most other developed nations.
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