Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, 24 May 2007

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she will not compromise in getting the world's top industrialized nations to agree to cut greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming.

Ms. Merkel said in an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel magazine that the United Nations must take the lead in fighting climate change.

The chancellor said while she welcomes President Bush's new determination to fight global warming, she said it must be part of a U.N. framework.

Mr. Bush last week called on each the world's 15 biggest polluters to decide how much they want to cut greenhouse gas emissions on top of reducing gasoline consumption and seeking alternative energy sources.

The United States has refused to ratify the 1997 Kyoto global warming treaty, which calls for specific caps on emissions, calling it economically damaging.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP, Bloomberg and Reuters.