OBAMA This is an ambitious goal but it is an achievable goal VO THE WORLD’S NUMBER 1 AND NUMBER 2 CARBON POLLUTERS ARE NOW COOPERATING. BUT THE QUESTION IS IMPLEMENTATION. WHAT THE CLIMATE DEAL - AND A WIDER GLOBAL CLIMATE AGREEMENT - COULD LOOK LIKE IN POWER PLANTS AND AUTOMOBILES WORLDWIDE. NOW ON THE NEW YORK TIMES MINUTE. // Nat of some video representing coal THE AGREEMENT CENTERS AROUND EMISSIONS, ESPECIALLY COAL WHICH HAS BEEN A CONCERN FOR YEARS. Sot-Obama2011 “I have been promoting clean energy it’s absolutely key to our future.” BUT REMEMBER THAT COAL POWERS 39 PERCENT OF THE ELECTRICITY IN THE U.S. AND 80 PERCENT IN CHINA. AN OPEN QUESTION IS WHETHER CHINA WILL EVEN LET THE WORLD TRACK THEIR CARBON OUTPUT. STILL, THE NOTORIOUSLY BAD AIR IN BEIJING MAY PROVIDE A BIG REASON FOR A SWITCH. Nat of beijing skyline // <nat cars on the road in China> THE AGREEMENT - IF IT HOLDS - WOULD ALSO IMPACT HOW THE WORLD DRIVES. IF THE AGREEMENT GOES FORWARD, WATCH FOR BOTH COUNTRIES INCREASE THEIR FOCUS ON LOW-EMISSION VEHICLES LIKE THE ALL-ELECTRIC NISSAN LEAF AND HYBRIDS LIKE THE TOYOTA PRIUS. CARS COULD BE A WAY FOR BOTH COUNTRIES TO CUT EMISSIONS QUICKLY. <nat cars on the road - maybe in the usa> // SOT Obama: it puts us on a path to achieving the deep emissions reductions needed by advanced economies that the scientific community says is necessary to prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change.” VO BUT, THERE ARE STILL PLENTY OF OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS. CAPITOL HILL NAT SOUND VO TO MEET THE GOALS, THE US WILL NEED TO DOUBLE IT’S PREVIOUSLY TARGETED PACE OF REDUCTION. THAT WOULDN’T NECESSARILY REQUIRE NEW LAWS BUT A REPUBLICAN CONGRESS ISN’T EXPECTED TO HELP. THE GOALS ARE ALSO SET FOR 2025, LONG AFTER MR. OBAMA LEAVES OFFICE. Nat sound of china - something of beijing skyline VO IN CHINA, THE DEAL ASSUMES EMISSIONS WILL PEAK DUE TO A MASSIVE GROWTH IN CLEAN ENERGY. - PRESIDENT XI JINPING IS PROMISING EVEN AS CHINA CONTINUES TO GROW - 20 PERCENT OF CHINA’S ENERGY WILL BE CLEAN BY 2030. THAT WOULD BE MORE ENERGY THAN ALL OF THE CHINESE COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS THAT CURRENTLY EXIST. nat pop from the conference - obama and xi one more time. STILL, OFFICIALS ARE HOPING THAT NOVEMBER’S AGREEMENT WILL MEAN THAT OTHER COUNTRIES FALL IN LINE TOWARDS THE LARGER GOAL: A GLOBAL CLIMATE AGREEMENT IN 2015. ENDIT