Indian companies wait for cer price to rise COMPANIES in India that hoped to profit by investing in technologies that minimize carbon emissions are holding on to their carbon credits. The value of these credits or certified emission reduction units (cers) has fallen steeply world over. In EU, for instance, the price of one cer has fallen from

U.S.-hosted climate talks with the world's biggest greenhouse gas polluters concluded on Tuesday with signs of progress but sizable differences as nations work toward a deal this year to fight global warming.

Energy-intensive industries could be offered exemptions by Australia's government on its 20 percent renewable energy target as financial tumult saps support for its climate change policies, a report said on Wednesday.

The carbon market showed a remarkable growth spurt in the first quarter of this year, with trading volumes up 37 per cent, new data show.

Trading was driven by price volatility and companies selling carbon permits to raise short-term cash.

After eight years largely on the sidelines of the international policy debate on climate change, the United States is prepared to lead negotiations toward a new global warming treaty, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton addressed delegates at a climate and energy conference on Monday in Washington.

The United States gathered China, India and the world's other top greenhouse gas polluters in Washington on Monday to "make up for lost time" and lay the groundwork for a UN deal to fight climate change.

The United States hosts a meeting of major economies on Monday and Tuesday in Washington to relaunch a process it hopes will help lead to an international pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Below are the players and possible outcomes from the event:

PLAYERS

The major nations meeting for discussions on climate change in Washington on Monday and Tuesday each have different goals for curbs on greenhouse gas emissions.

China, the United States, the European Union, Russia and India are top world emitters. Targets they set will go a long way to decide the ambition of a new UN deal to fight global warming due to be agreed in Copenhagen in December.

The United States hopes to take the reins of international efforts to battle global warming next week with a meeting of major economies aimed at facilitating a UN pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Global warming activist Al Gore on Friday urged passage this year of a US law to slash greenhouse emissions, saying failure to pass legislation could cause the collapse of world climate negotiations.