RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

And that summit is the annual meeting of leaders from seven Western nations, plus Russia. A major item on the agenda is also on our agenda this morning: different ways to fight global warming. President Bush has said he'll take a proposal to his fellow world leaders. He wants a meeting of the nations that produce the most greenhouse gases ranging from the United States to China.

President GEORGE W. BUSH: Under my proposal, by the end of next year, America and other nations will set a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases. And to meet this goal, we must help developing countries harness the power of technology.

MONTAGNE: That's the president's proposal. Even some of his critics praised President Bush for joining the debate over what to do about climate change, but the Europeans at that meeting have been pushing for something more. They want a commitment to cut emissions of heat-trapping gases in half over 40 years. And in the U.S., Democratic representative Ed Markey sees the president's plan as a delaying tactic.

Representative ED MARKEY (Democrat, Massachusetts): His new plan is to discuss voluntary goals for another 18 months, guaranteeing that he will end his eight-year term with the United States' contribution to global warming pollution considerably worse than when he took office.

MONTAGNE: Again, Democratic Congressman Ed Markey. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.