The top polluters: These two countries are together emitting 40% of the worlds climate gases. Negotiations began in the final months of the Bush administration, and Obama could seal an accord on cutting emissions by autumn. A joint US-Chinese action on climate change is possibly coming soon. A draft agreement has been produced.
Getting a US-China understanding in the UN meeting in Copenhagen this December is essential, and it seems the US-China relationship will be built round climate change. Carbon capture and storage, fuel efficiency and technologies are mentioned.
Economic growth must continue, but the work will involve quantifiable reductions of climate gases.
This probably means the two countries will support a new Copenhagen deal. Will they also put themselves in the drivers seat of climate change?
