Obama, Hu climate talk in Beijing could spur action in Copenhagen

Conversely, a failure to advance, or any sign the big two could conspire to effectively let each other off the hook in Denmark, would probably condemn the talks to failure.

“Everyone is very pessimistic about Copenhagen, so there's a need for a positive signal from China and the United States,” said Zhang Haibin, a professor of environmental diplomacy at Peking University.

“A joint statement that both countries are willing to cooperate and will not abandon this process would help lift hopes for Copenhagen. Without it, Copenhagen looks even bleaker, and the subsequent negotiations would also be damaged.”

Top Emitters

The United States has emitted more carbon into the atmosphere than any country on earth, but China has since taken up the mantle as top producer of the gases blamed for warming the Earth's atmosphere. Together, they account for 40 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. So there can be little progress without cooperation between the two countries at the Dec. 7-18 meeting in Copenhagen that is designed to succeed the Kyoto climate protocol.

“You are not only talking about the two greatest emitters, but the two emitters that are iconic of the whole divide between developed and developing countries,” said Julian L. Wong, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for American Progress in Washington.

Wong thinks the international climate talks are far too complicated for Obama and President Hu Jintao to hammer out a definitive agreement on climate change when they meet next week. But the two sides are expected to make announcements showing how they are engaging on renewable energy projects and research into things like electric cars and capturing carbon at power plants for storage underground. The two leaders will pledge greater cooperation on climate, but specifics of any bilateral plan might be sparse.

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