Obama: US taking global lead on climate change

President Obama touted the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to limit carbon emissions from power plants as one of the most “ambitious steps” ever taken to address climate change.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Brussels after a Group of Seven meeting of the world’s largest economies, Obama said he discussed the EPA plan with other leaders and encouraged an international effort on climate.

{mosads}“I made it clear that the United States will continue to do our part,” Obama said. “It’s one of the most ambitious steps that any nation has taken to combat climate change.”

Obama also said the proposal will help the U.S. get closer to his goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, a commitment he made in 2009 at a climate change conference in Copenhagen.

“This builds on the steps we’ve taken over the past five years to invest more in renewables like solar and wind, raise fuel standards for our cars and trucks and make our homes and businesses more energy efficient,” he said.

The G-7 leaders agreed in Brussels to sign an agreement to limit climate change next year.

Obama said leaders also agreed to help Ukraine and other central and eastern European countries strengthen their energy security, including diversifying their supplies in response to Russia’s aggression.

“Following the review I called for in the United States earlier this year, every G-7 country will conduct an energy assessment to identify the possible impact of any potential disruptions and to offer ways we can prevent disruptions and recover from them more quickly,” Obama said.