The world's biggest polluters, including the United States, India and China, are meeting in Washington for a two-day climate change conference hosted by the United States.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said at the opening session Thursday that the problem of climate change is a complex, difficult issue.
She said the United States supports the goals of a U.N. climate summit held Monday in New York and wants an international climate meeting in December in Bali to succeed.
Rice said countries should agree on long-term goals for greenhouse gas reduction, establish mid-term national programs and targets to reach broader goals, and work with private industry for new technologies.
The conference is focusing on setting strategies beyond 2012, when the Kyoto protocol on climate change expires.
The meeting will not call for mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. President Bush is against setting such limits and opposes the Kyoto protocol, which sets mandatory emissions cuts.
Some protesters chanted and held anti-Bush signs outside the State Department, where today's meeting is being held.
President Bush did not attend the climate change meeting Monday at the United Nations, which was attended by representatives of 150 countries.
Mr. Bush is to address the Washington climate meeting Friday.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said at the opening session Thursday that the problem of climate change is a complex, difficult issue.
She said the United States supports the goals of a U.N. climate summit held Monday in New York and wants an international climate meeting in December in Bali to succeed.
Rice said countries should agree on long-term goals for greenhouse gas reduction, establish mid-term national programs and targets to reach broader goals, and work with private industry for new technologies.
The conference is focusing on setting strategies beyond 2012, when the Kyoto protocol on climate change expires.
The meeting will not call for mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming. President Bush is against setting such limits and opposes the Kyoto protocol, which sets mandatory emissions cuts.
Some protesters chanted and held anti-Bush signs outside the State Department, where today's meeting is being held.
President Bush did not attend the climate change meeting Monday at the United Nations, which was attended by representatives of 150 countries.
Mr. Bush is to address the Washington climate meeting Friday.