The U.S. proposal is at the heart of a dispute at a two-week conference in The Hague over how to implement a 1997 U.N. climate change agreement that called for cuts in emissions of gases like carbon dioxide. The 15-nation European Union wants wealthy states to take a lead and implement cuts through tough domestic policies. Scientists warn that increasing levels of greenhouse gases threaten significant climate change and rising sea levels that could wipe some small islands off the map. Many senior U.S. Senators have vowed to kill any greenhouse gas plan they believe would hurt the economy. The current proposal, presented jointly with Canada and Japan, might overcome the domestic hurdle.
Opponents say they fear the United States and others want to make cuts only on paper.