U.S. Backs Compromise on Emissions : Global warming: The Administration tries to rally European support for the watered-down proposal.

The Bush Administration has decided to embrace a compromise proposal calling for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and President Bush telephoned several European leaders over the weekend to tell them “we’re on board,” White House officials said Sunday.

The flurry of telephone calls by Bush to German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and other European leaders was described by some Administration officials as part of a pressure campaign to urge the U.S. allies to support the plan, which is more modest than the Europeans had endorsed.

The officials said the White House hopes to forge a broader backing for the watered-down plan so that Bush can attend a global environmental summit in Rio de Janeiro next month as part of a coalition of developed nations.

One official declined to specify which leaders Bush had consulted apart from Kohl during a spate of telephoning that began Friday afternoon. Asked whether they had included French President Francois Mitterrand, the official said Bush may have placed that call Sunday.

The official described the calls as “an opportunity to touch base with the leaders and say not so much ‘come on board’ but that ‘we’re on board.’ ”

There were other signs of the White House’s growing involvement in negotiations here. On Saturday, White House official Robert E. Grady, who has played a key role in fashioning a U.S. position, dropped in on the negotiations and was expected to report back to Washington.

Despite the stepped-up efforts by Washington, some European governments have held out for a much tougher deadline for stabilizing the emissions.

Indeed, the German delegation went out of its way Saturday--one day after Bush’s call to Kohl--to knock down rumors among negotiators here that the weaker language was acceptable.

“I’d like to avoid any misunderstanding,” Ansgar O. Vogel told negotiators during an open session. ‘The German delegation has not accepted this text.” He said Germany is committed to reducing its carbon dioxide emissions by 25% to 30% by the year 2005.

Several European nations, as well as developing countries, are calling for stabilizing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by the year 2000 as a minimum. The compromise backed by Bush has no binding deadline but offers the year 2000 as a guideline or goal for stabilizing emissions.

Carbon dioxide, which is released when fossil fuels such as gasoline and coal are burned, trap the sun’s heat in the atmosphere, much as a greenhouse does, causing temperatures to rise.

Despite the scientific concerns, the Bush Administration has opted for a more lenient treaty, in part because of scientific questions and in part because it fears a binding deadline would force the United States to make economic sacrifices to fulfill the treaty’s terms.

Bush’s direct involvement in negotiations comes at a time when the United States has come under intense pressure from allies and environmentalists to sign a strong climate-change treaty. But the United States has steadfastly declined to commit itself even to attend the Rio summit, although there are indications that Bush will join more than 100 other heads of state at the meeting, known as the U.N. Conference on the Environment and Development.

But with the United States still at odds with its allies over how quickly greenhouse gas emissions ought to be reduced, advisers have been seeking to ensure that Bush does not find himself in embarrassing isolation.

On Friday, Jean Ripert of France, the chairman of the U.N. negotiating session, introduced the less stringent proposal after conferring with U.S. and British negotiators, as well as others.

Administration officials acknowledged Sunday that the key language offered by Ripert had been essentially crafted by the United States and Britain.

Ripert and the United States have argued that it is more important to put a treaty into effect and establish a framework for dealing with climate change than to argue deadlines for cutting emissions.

German support is considered important. “Germany is the key powerhouse left,” said one Administration official in Washington who spoke on condition of anonymity. “If they come on board, with only modest technical changes, then I think it will be an indication that this text is going to be a rallying point.”