Democrats in the US House of Representatives have announced plans to draw up climate legislation this spring, arguing that business leaders need regulatory certainty to drive a green economic recovery.

Incoming Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman, who held his first climate hearing on 15 January, said that the committee would deliver the legislation by the end of May, a decision backed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Although President Obama favours a domestic cap-and-trade programme, many energy and climate analysts expected that the legislation would be delayed as lawmakers focus on the economy and a less controversial bill to advance clean energy.

The US Climate Action Partnership, a coalition of major industrial firms and environmental organizations, bolstered Waxman's case by calling for legislation that would curb carbon dioxide emissions by 42% by 2030 and 80% by mid-century compared with 2005 levels.