President Bush has unveiled a new climate change strategy that says leading nations should agree on a “long-term goal” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — but explicitly rejects setting mandatory caps.

President Bush: “By the end of next year, America and other nations will set a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases. To help develop this goal, the United States will convene a series of meetings of nations that produce most greenhouse gas emissions, including nations with rapidly growing economies like India and China.”

An international accord would mark the first time the Bush administration agrees to a target on reducing gas emissions. But the new strategy continues the White House policy of rejecting mandatory emissions limits as called for by the Kyoto Accords. Germany, which is hosting the G8 summit next week, has called for a 50 percent emission cut by the year 2050. Critics say the president made the announcement with the global warming divide in mind.

Daniel Weiss of the Center for American Progress: “He made the announcement today to preempt the criticisms that he is sure to get at the G8 summit next week when our allies, like Germany and Britain, say don’t talk, cut.”