Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed his optimism that a climate change agreement could be reached with the support of the US administration under Barack Obama. He emphasized the urgency of taking action to prevent extreme weather events and their devastating impacts, noting that every year of delay would lead to greater damage and suffering. Annan's Global Humanitarian Forum brought together UN agency heads, government officials, and experts to discuss practical strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the consequences of global warming. He called for collective efforts to tackle this pressing environmental and humanitarian issue, with the goal of reaching a new agreement in Copenhagen to succeed the Kyoto accord. "The United States' new president and administration have shown a strong commitment to addressing climate change, which is particularly important as the US is a major source of emissions. This has created hope for the upcoming Copenhagen meeting and beyond," Annan stated. Over 190 countries will convene in Copenhagen to negotiate a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which governs greenhouse gas emissions. Efforts to stimulate the economy in various countries, including the US and Europe, have led to increased investment in low-carbon energy and alternative technologies, potentially creating jobs and supporting sustainable projects, Annan added. However, climate experts caution that current pledges by developed nations to reduce emissions by 2020 are insufficient to prevent severe climate change." According to calculations by Reuters, industrialised nations have pledged to reduce their emissions by an average of 10 to 14 percent below 1990 levels before December's meeting. However, the UN Climate Panel states that emissions cuts need to be in the range of 25-40 percent below 1990 levels to prevent the most severe impacts of climate change.