The United States is trying to dilute a declaration on global warming to be made at next month's G8 summit, sources close to the talks said today.
In a draft of the declaration dated April 2007, the United States objects to a pledge to limit global warming to two degrees this century and cut world greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.
Washington also questions whether the United Nations is the best forum to tackle the climate crisis and rejects a section stating that carbon markets are a key means of developing and deploying climate-friendly technologies.
"They have rejected any mention of targets and timetables, don't want the UN to get more involved and refuse to endorse carbon trading because it must by definition involve targets," one source said.
The leaders of Britain, the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan, Italy and France will attend the summit hosted by Germany in the Baltic resort town of Heligendamm from June 6th-8th.
Also present at the meeting will be the heads of state of South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, China and India as the key group of major developing countries.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is determined to push through wide-ranging declarations committing to global action on climate warming and energy security but is meeting equally strong resistance from Washington, supported by Canada.
The Kyoto Protocol is the only global agreement on curbing carbon emissions, but it was rejected by the United States in 2001, is not binding on China and India and effectively expires in 2012.
Negotiations to expand and extend Kyoto beyond 2012 are barely moving.