Obama and U.N. Head Will Work to Forge Climate Pact in 2009

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that he and President Obama agreed to work together to ensure that the world community signs a comprehensive treaty this year to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. After meeting in Washington with the U.S. president, Ban Ki-moon said he and Obama set a goal of securing passage of a climate treaty at a meeting in Copenhagen in December. “President Obama and I share a fundamental commitment — 2009 must be the year of climate change,” Ban Ki-moon said. “With U.S. leadership, in partnership with the United Nations, we can and will reach a climate change deal that all nations can embrace.” The U.N. chief said he would attend a summit of the leaders of the top 20 industrialized countries in London next month and would urge them to work for a climate treaty and to support measures to transfer renewable energy technologies to developing countries.