German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Tuesday for the U.S., China and India to make substantive pledges of action against global warming in order to prevent the failure of next month's climate summit in Copenhagen.

"A failure of the world climate conference in Copenhagen would set back international climate policy by years," Merkel said in a speech to parliament outlining her new government's agenda. "We cannot afford that."

Merkel said the European Union has put forward a clear position on fighting climate change, and "we now expect contributions from the USA and countries such as China and India."

"A substantial political agreement is essential and the condition for an internationally binding ... protocol for the time after 2013," she said.

The Copenhagen conference, aimed at drawing up an accord that would replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to curb emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming when it expires, starts on Dec. 7.

Merkel indicated that she would attend the meeting if success appeared likely. She did not define what a "substantial political agreement" would entail.

In a speech last week to the U.S. Congress, Merkel placed special emphasis on the need for a climate change accord and said that "we have no time to lose."

Merkel won re-election in September, achieving a majority for a new center-right government after four years in an awkward "grand coalition" of right and left. The conservative's new coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats took office Oct. 28. Continued...