European Union Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said today that meetings with top White House officials have left her without much hope a climate and energy bill will pass this year.

"The feeling I got yesterday was that, well, not too many want to bet on the timing and what could be the outcome," Hedegaard said of her discussions this week with energy czar Carol Browner, climate envoy Todd Stern and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. She also met with several lawmakers, including Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass.

Hedegaard, who hosted December's climate conference in Copenhagen, said that if Congress can't pass a bill by December when Mexico hosts the next round of global climate talks, it could poison the well for years.

"I definitely get the feeling that if it fails this time, then there will be a substantial risk that it will not come this side of the midterm elections," Hedegaard said at a media conference. "And that of course matters to the rest of the world because if nothing comes out positive from the United States for many years from now, where would that lead the international negotiations?"

Hedegaard said Europe still wants the U.S. to enact some type of cap-and-trade system but acknowledged that the term has "turned into a very bad word" in the Senate debate. She also said that EPA regulation of greenhouse gases would not go far enough to limit emissions and is likely to be tied up in litigation for years.

If the U.S. fails to keep to the emissions pledge it made in Copenhagen, Hedegaard said, its standing as a world leader could be diminished. "The rest of the world will judge very carefully whether whatever comes out of your process will make it likely that the U.S. can deliver on its international promises," Hedegaard said. "And in that sense, it also affects the perception of the United States being the leader also in the 21st century."

More in Energy Go to section

October 04, 2010 | Energy and Environment Bulletin

Is Unpriced Carbon The Next Subprime?

September 02, 2010 | Energy and Environment Bulletin

Dems Seek Answers On Gulf Explosion

September 01, 2010 | Energy and Environment Bulletin

BP Spent Big On Advertising After Spill

August 24, 2010 | Tech Daily Dose

Biden: Stimulus Dollars Fueling Energy and Life-Saving Technology

August 17, 2010 | Insider Interviews

Deepwater Horizon's Enduring Lessons