Washington (Platts)--10Sep2009/538 pm EDT/2138 GMT

The top US climate change negotiator on Thursday said he does not believe the country will make more aggressive cuts in greenhouse gas emissions than those contained in a bill approved in June by the House of Representatives, despite calls by some developing countries that it do more.

Todd Stern, the Department of State's special envoy for climate, said that ahead of international treaty negotiations this December, countries like China should not expect the US to committ to emissions cuts more than the 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 included in the House bill.

China and other large developing countries have said that they want the US and other developed countries to reduce emissions between 25% and 40% below 1990 levels by 2020.

Testifying before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Stern said the more ambitious targets are unrealistic, adding that the House levels are likely the best international partners can expect.

"You're not going to get more than that, so let's get real," Stern said told the panel. "We can't get something done based on something we all ideally want."

One of the top issues before the Copenhagen meetings in December is the level of GHG reductions China will commit to, despite saying that it would not accept binding emissions cuts. The EU has called for China to reduce emissions between 15% and 30% from business-as-usual by 2020.

Stern endorsed that goal, telling reporters that would be a "good range" for China and would allow the country's emissions to peak in the 2020's. "It's not a bad starting place," he said, adding that figuring out what business-as-usual means would be more difficult.

He welcomed efforts by the Chinese to reduce emissions, including implementing a 15% by 2020 national renewable electricity standard, automobile fuel economy standards comparable to those in the US and commitments to reduce energy and emissions intensity 20% over the next decade.

But Stern said China, which he called a "developing juggernaut," must submit more meaningful goals at Copenhagen.

"I think it would be great for China to take on a national cap but I don't think it's the only way to go," he said. "They need a set of policies that add up to a national reduction in their emissions."

Stern added that China does not "want [UN climate treaty negotiations] to run off the rails," and believes that it "wants to get a deal done."

He also said said demands by China and others that 1% of developed country GDP go toward technology transfer are "wildly unrealistic" and noted that language in the House bill that would allow the use of international offsets is a good start toward getting foreign involvement.

Stern later told reporters he hopes the Senate will pass its version of a climate-change bill before the Copenhagen talks. "If the legislation is moving on a good track but isn't passed yet, there will undoubtedly be ways to accommodate that in the context of a negotiations. It would be a lot easier if it was passed." --Alexander Duncan, alexander_duncan@platts.com