US House of Representatives leader Nancy Pelosi refused here Monday to be drawn on whether the United States would back Germany's strong position on climate change at next week's G8 summit.
Pelosi held talks with German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel on the first stop of a European tour she is making accompanied by a delegation of high-ranking Democrat and Republican politicians.
The Democrat leader who is an outspoken critic of President George W. Bush said a fact-finding visit to Greenland on the way to Europe had underlined the dangers posed to the world by rising temperatures.
"This trip for us began in Greenland where we saw first-hand evidence that climate change is a reality. There is just no denying it," Pelosi said at a press conference.
"I hope that we can all assume our responsibilities with great respect and that our administration will be open to listening to why it is important to go forward, perhaps in a different way than we have proceeded in the past."
Since Democrats took over Congress in January, both the House and Senate have proposed to push the nation more aggressively to reduce carbon emissions.
Leaked documents have shown that Washington has raised strong objections to a proposed global warming declaration prepared by the German hosts for the June 6-8 summit of the leaders of the Group of Eight most industrialised nations in the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm.
Pelosi declined however to say whether Washington would sign up to the German proposal of limiting the worldwide temperature rise this century to two degrees Celsius and cutting global greenhouse gas emissions to 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
"First we have to have a fundamental agreement as to what the challenges and possibilities are for reaching such a goal," she said.
"The science is clear, the challenge is undeniable, we have to work together though to reach a solution.
"All of us are committed to finding the best possible science and workable solutions to the challenges we face."
Pelosi said she would thank Chancellor Angela Merkel for her "leadership" on the climate change issue when they meet on Tuesday.
Gabriel said Germany had been frustrated by the difficulties of reaching agreement on climate change with the United States, but said he detected a new attitude towards the issue in Washington.
"We regret that it has been hard to reach agreement with the US administration, but now we are delighted that there is a wide-ranging public debate about the issue in America.
"I believe Germany's policy on climate change is the right one. We want to take concrete steps forward."
Gabriel said developing nations like China and India could only be persuaded to commit to climate change restrictions if the most industrial nations such as Germany and the United States led the way.
"We must take joint responsibility," the minister said.
The United States refused to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol which limits the emission of harmful greenhouse gases.
In another sign of the obstacles facing Germany, India, which has been invited to participate at Heiligendamm, said Monday it would reject proposals to limit greenhouse gas emissions because stricter restrictions would slow its booming economy.
After talks with Merkel on Tuesday, Pelosi will go on to Britain and Belgium.
