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On November 25, 2009, the Obama Administration made two important announcements regarding the United Nations Climate Change Conference being held in Copenhagen this month. First, President Obama proposed a United States greenhouse gas emissions reduction target “in the range of” 17% below 2005 levels by 2020. Ultimate formalization of this provisional target is dependent on significant commitments being made to mitigate emissions by other countries, as well as the terms of any final U.S. climate change legislation. Although the 17% reduction target is in line with legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last June, the Senate is expected to consider a range of reduction targets when it takes up companion legislation in the new year. Second, the Administration announced that President Obama himself, along with a host of cabinet secretaries and other top Administration officials, would travel to Copenhagen for the conference. The President’s attendance is intended to underscore the Administration’s desire to reach a global agreement on climate change.
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