Top White House science officials emphasized the importance of countries crafting their own national policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at a conference today on the U.S.-India energy relationship. They also stressed the need to pass an energy bill before the Copenhagen climate talks in December.

"Our focus needs to be to get our legislation done," said Todd Stern, special envoy on climate change. "I think we can get that legislation done. It will be a fight, but I think we can get it done. That would be an enormous step forward."

Acknowledging that many people "fear we are on the path for a stalemate" in Copenhagen, Stern said that each country's individual plans could be "reflected" in an international agreement to reduce emissions. He cited efforts by South Korea and Australia as representing a "viable path forward."

Stern also highlighted steps the United States is taking to draft regional accords on emissions. He referred to a "trilateral climate agreement" with Mexico and Canada, as well as a broader agreement encompassing the entire Western Hemisphere. "There are all kinds of sub-global cooperative efforts, particularly focused on dissemination of technology," Stern said. "If we get a deal done in Copenhagen, that will be the start, not the end of the process. That sets out guideposts and targets."

White House science czar John Holdren said he had spoken "at length" with President Obama Wednesday morning about climate change. Holdren said the president understands the significance of passing a bill that includes a cap-and-trade system in order to show the rest of the world that the United States is serious about reducing greenhouse gases. He didn't specify, however, when Obama thought a bill should be passed and whether that was a necessary step before Copenhagen.

John Podesta, CEO and president of the Center for American Progress, said there is a "less than 50-50 chance" that the bill Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., introduced Wednesday could be passed by Copenhagen. Still, he said, the U.N. talks do provide a compelling reason to move on this legislation. "The Senate never does anything without its back against the wall," said Podesta, who served as chief of staff to President Clinton. "There's a very strong argument that once health care is completed, in advance of a financial regulatory reform bill, put it on the floor with Copenhagen as a backstop -- it's more likely to be successful in that context."

The conference, co-hosted by the Energy and Resources Institute and Yale University, included several big-name speakers, including Energy Secretary Steven Chu and India's Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah, who spoke on the same panel this morning. Former Vice President Al Gore and Kerry are scheduled to speak tonight.

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