Blair: I'll Talk Bush Into Emissions Agreement

Heading into his final G8 summit, Tony Blair is thinking big: He says he can persuade President Bush to agree to a UN-backed treaty to reduce carbon emissions by 50%, today's Guardian reports. Blair hopes to reach at least an agreement in principle, but officials fear negotiations will continue to the end of the talks without settling anything.

Blair's confidence stems partly from Bush's speech on carbon reduction last week, which the PM said "moved things on" although it did not set goals for cutting emissions. Blair, who leaves office this month, maintains that any climate change agreements reached at this week's summit will need UN approval and that the US is clear on that proviso. (More G8 summit stories.)