U.S. to pay "fairy share" of climate package

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United States will pay a "fair share" of the proposed 10 billion dollars in annual aid to help developing countries cope with climate change if other countries make their commitments, the White House said on Friday.

"There appears to be an emerging consensus that a core element of the Copenhagen accord should be to mobilize 10 billion dollars a year by 2012" to support adaptation and mitigation in developing countries, particularly the most vulnerable and least developed countries that could be destabilized by the impacts of climate change, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

"The United States will pay its fair share of that amount and other countries will make substantial commitments as well," Gibbs said.

Meanwhile, the White House announced that President Barack Obama would attend the end of the Copenhagen summit instead of the start as originally planned.

"After months of diplomatic activity, there is progress being made towards a meaningful Copenhagen accord in which all countries pledge to take action against the global threat of climate change," the White House said in a statement.

"Based on his conversations with other leaders and the progress that has already been made to give momentum to negotiations, the President believes that continued U.S. leadership can be most productive through his participation at the end of the Copenhagen conference on Dec. 18 rather than on Dec. 9," the statement said.