US slammed for dragging its feet on climate change action

Chinese president Hu Jintao has said his country would take effective measures to cut its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of economic output by a 'notable margin' by 2020 as compared to 2005.

With the China promising appropriate action to curb gas emissions, a stand which was applauded at the UN, the US has come under intense pressure from the other countries to plan a roadmap to cut pollution which is the root cause of global warming.

Delegates at the weeklong Barcelona talks urged Washington to make specific commitments to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a global climate fund to help poor countries cope with damage caused by climate change.

Denmark's minister for climate and energy, Connie Hedegaard said, the international community expected the US to be able to deliver on one of the major challenges of the century.

Delegates at the talks expressed distress over the fact that even after two years of talks on drafting a new pact, the US has not be able to make firm commitments because it is waiting for Congress to enact a legislation.

World nations hope to finalise a new global warming pact in time for it to be adopted at a major UN conference next month in Copenhagen. The deal would replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, but would require both industrial countries and developing countries to rein in emission of carbon and other heat-raising greenhouse gases. Kyoto was meant only for industrialised nations and was not subscribed to by the US.