The United States will offer a roughly 28 per cent emissions cut as its contribution to a major global climate treaty nearing the final stages of negotiation, according to people briefed on the White House's plans.
The US plans to announce its commitment today, the informal deadline for nations to submit their contributions to the United Nations. Although the goal of 26 per cent to 28 per cent by 2025 isn't new - President Barack Obama first unveiled it last year during a trip to Beijing - the US proposal has drawn intense interest from the vast majority of countries that have yet to announce how deeply they'll pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions as part of the treaty.
Obama's pledge constitutes the opening offer by the US as world leaders strive to reach a climate deal powerful and ambitious enough to prevent the worst effects of climate change. In the works for years, the treaty is set to be finalised in Paris in December. If it's successful, it will mark the first time all nations - not just wealthier ones like the US - will have agreed to do something about climate change.
As part of its proposal, known to climate negotiators as an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution, the US will also assert that its contribution is both ambitious and fair, said the individuals briefed on the US proposal, who requested anonymity because the proposal hasn't been announced.
What metrics the US will use to back up that claim is not yet clear. The European Union, one of the first parties to submit its contribution, pointed to per capita reductions in emissions to show how it is cutting its carbon footprint. But emissions per capita are far higher in the US, making it an inconvenient measure for the US to use to show progress.
Instead, the US is expected to focus on the fact that the Obama administration has ramped up the rate of emissions reductions nearly twofold. Early in his presidency, Obama committed to cut US emissions 17 per cent by 2020; his subsequent goal for 2025 pushes it to 28 per cent.
The White House declined to comment.
The US and other developed countries have been aggressively pressing developing nations to step up on climate change, especially those like China and India that are heavily reliant on dirtier sources of energy. Obama has described his strategy as "leading by example" and has sought to use the steps he's already taken to cut emissions to ramp up pressure on other countries to do the same.
