Representatives from the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, such as the United States, China, and India, will gather at a forum hosted by the U.S. State Department in an effort to reach a U.N. agreement on reducing global warming. This meeting of major economies aims to kickstart climate negotiations ahead of a crucial deadline in December, when world leaders will convene in Copenhagen to develop a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will deliver an opening address, and discussions are expected to cover topics such as technology cooperation. Participating countries include Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, and the United States. Denmark, which is hosting the December meeting, has also been invited. Environmentalists and others believe that the United States' commitment to combating climate change is crucial for any worldwide agreement. Jake Schmidt of the Natural Resources Defense Council activist group stated that without U.S. leadership, reaching a global warming agreement in Copenhagen would be difficult. President Barack Obama has emphasized the connection between addressing climate change and assisting the struggling economy, and he called for the meeting to restart the major economies process initiated by his predecessor George W. Bush. The Bush administration's efforts were met with doubt by many participants and were viewed as a diversion from the primary U.N. negotiations on climate change. Obama's plan to address climate change involves reducing U.S. emissions by approximately 15% by 2020, bringing them back to 1990 levels. In contrast to Bush's opposition to the Kyoto Protocol and emissions limits, Obama's team advocates for action on climate change. They have asserted that carbon dioxide emissions pose a threat to human health and welfare, allowing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate them as pollutants. While no regulations have been implemented yet, Obama prefers legislation over regulation for addressing this issue. Legislation is currently under discussion in the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, with environmental activist Al Gore urging the passage of a carbon-capping law this year. Todd Stern, the U.S. special envoy for climate change, chose not to outline the specific requirements the United States must present in December at Copenhagen to showcase U.S. leadership. However, he pointed out the notable differences in approach between the Obama administration and the Bush team. Stern mentioned that the previous administration was not primarily seeking an international agreement, while the current administration is actively pursuing one, along with seeking cooperation on a potentially transformative scale.