The United States does not anticipate reaching a climate change agreement with China during President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to Beijing, according to Todd Stern, the US Special Envoy for Climate Change. Stern stated that Obama's goal is to establish a common understanding with President Hu in order to facilitate an agreement at the Copenhagen conference in December. Negotiators will convene in Copenhagen to work on a new accord to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol is set to expire in 2012. Progress in the negotiations has been slow, with the US hesitant to commit to a deal that does not require developing countries like China to agree to mandatory CO2 reduction targets. Chinese negotiators have suggested that the responsibility for reducing carbon emissions should mainly fall on the industrialised world. The upcoming meeting between Obama and President Hu Jintao is considered crucial in the efforts to reach a consensus on a new global climate agreement. Maria Cantwell, a Democratic Senator from Washington State, mentioned in Beijing that China and the United States may sign a bilateral agreement during Obama's visit. However, Stern clarified that Washington is not seeking a separate deal. Despite discussions on further cooperation on carbon capture and storage next month, analysts believe that differences between the two sides will hinder the formulation of a significant agreement. According to Paul Harris, a professor at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, there will be a lot of talk and kind words leading up to the Copenhagen conference, but he doesn't believe it will lead to much progress. He also mentioned that the Obama administration's push for a climate plan before the end of the year will be important. Stern, another expert, expressed that success at Copenhagen is not guaranteed, but there is potential for a deal to be made. The US Senate Environment Committee is currently holding hearings on a new climate bill. The administration has been encouraging Congress to make progress, and any additional postponements could harm the reputation of the United States during the Copenhagen talks.