Obama calls for inclusive global climate compact that erases old divides

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday a new global agreement on climate change needs to include strong commitments from emerging economies and to move past the rich-poor country divide that has hampered progress in U.N. negotiations.

Obama addressed the U.N. climate change summit with a statement meant to build political momentum for a global deal on climate change in 2015 and a list of old and new commitments his administration has made to address it to date.

He said a new "global compact" needs to include strong commitments from some of the world's emerging economies, which will increase the amount of greenhouse gases they emit as their economies continue to grow.

"This time we need an agreement that reflects economic realities in the next decade and beyond," Obama said.

"It must be ambitious because that?s what the scale of this challenge demands."

Obama said prior to taking the podium, he met China's vice premier Zhang Gaoli and the two agreed the world's two biggest emitters "have a responsibility to lead."

Following Obama's remarks Zhang, representing the world's biggest carbon emitter, promised that China would work to rein in its growing emissions.

Zhang said China would aim to cap emissions or have them peak "as early as possible." The issue is key to U.N. negotiations. Some Chinese government advisers said this could happen after 2030.

(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Howard Goller)

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