US President Barack Obama has decided to attend the end of the Copenhagen climate change summit, a change in plans that the White House announced on Friday. This decision was made due to the increasing momentum towards a new global agreement. Originally, Obama was set to attend the summit in Denmark on December 7-18 before traveling to Oslo to receive his Nobel Peace Prize. Some European officials and environmentalists were surprised by the initial decision, as they believed the most crucial negotiations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions would occur towards the end of the summit when many other world leaders would be present. The White House stated that progress is being made towards a significant agreement in Copenhagen where all countries commit to combatting climate change. Danish officials have confirmed that over 100 world leaders will be attending the conference, which is hoped to pave the way for a new agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol. The White House stated that the president has decided to participate in the Copenhagen conference on December 18th rather than on December 9th, as he believes that continued US leadership can be most effective in moving negotiations forward. The Obama administration is optimistic about recent commitments by China and India to reduce emissions and the increasing agreement on providing financial assistance to developing nations affected by climate change. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown both welcomed Obama's decision, noting that it will help in reaching a successful climate deal in Copenhagen. The United States will commit to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. It was the final major industrialized nation to set a target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a UN-led effort to combat global warming, which could result in more extreme weather events, expanding deserts, floods, and rising sea levels. Experts anticipate that the Copenhagen summit will come to a political agreement that includes emission reduction targets for wealthy countries by 2020. Negotiations on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol will be postponed until 2010. The White House confirmed that Obama had spoken with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown regarding the progress of the talks. There seems to be a growing consensus that a key component of the Copenhagen agreement should be to secure commitments totaling $10 billion a year by 2012 to assist developing nations in dealing with the impacts of climate change, as per the White House. The statement declared that the United States will contribute its fair share of the amount, with other countries also making significant commitments. Environmentalists praised Obama's decision and urged him to adjust his administration's emissions reduction goals accordingly. Greenpeace International's political climate coordinator, Martin Kaiser, stated that Obama's change of heart in response to global pressure is crucial for the upcoming meeting, but emphasized the need for him to align his targets and financial contributions with the requirements of climate science.