Don't cave in on climate policy, Senate leaders urge Obama

(planet-ark, 10 Nov 2014) Four Senate leaders on Friday urged President Barack Obama not to retreat from promises of strong domestic carbon cutting goals and significant aid to developing countries to combat climate change given new Republican leadership in Congress, which is expected to be hostile to such policies.

The Democratic chairs of four Senate committees - Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works, Finance and Budget - wrote to Obama, asking him to uphold promises he made at a high-profile UN climate summit in September.

"A strong target for American emissions reductions after 2020 will build upon our actions to reduce carbon pollution domestically, and convince other countries to help forge a strong international agreement at the 21st Conference of the Parties in 2015," they wrote, referring to the pivotal climate summit set to be held in Paris next year.

Victories in Tuesday's mid-term elections mean Republicans will take control of the Senate and expand their majority in the House of Representatives, putting Obama's priority climate change strategy in peril.

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planet-ark, 10 Nov 2014: Don't cave in on climate policy, Senate leaders urge Obama