Obama Shifts His Visit to Last Day of Climate Conference

Citing progress on many issues, the White House said Friday that President Obama had shifted the date he would appear at the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen to Dec. 18, the last scheduled day.

In a written statement, it said the president believed that he could have a more decisive impact by appearing at the end of the 12-day conference, when as many as 100 other heads of state are scheduled to show up, rather than next Wednesday as originally planned.

The original date was timed to coincide with the president's trip to Oslo on Thursday to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Administration officials still acknowledge that the meeting in Denmark will not produce a binding international treaty, as had earlier been hoped, but rather an interim political deal and a promise to reconvene next year to work toward a formal treaty. The White House said it believed that it was still possible to conclude a "meaningful Copenhagen accord" in which all countries pledged to take immediate action to address climate change.

In the past two weeks, the United States, China and India have all announced targets for reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases.

The White House said Mr. Obama had discussed the matter this week with the leaders of France, Britain, Australia and Germany. Many world leaders and environmental advocates had been urging the president to attend later in the conference as a symbol of his commitment to a successful outcome.