Bush calls on 15 countries to set global emission goal by 08

US President George Bush, seeking to blunt international criticism of the US record on climate change, today urged 15 major nations to agree on a global emissions goal for reducing greenhouse gases by the end of next year.

Bush asked for the first in a series of meetings to begin this fall, bringing together countries identified as major emitters of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. The list would include the US, China, India and major European countries.