Large emerging-economy nations like China, India and Brazil are already significant players in international climate summits. The International Energy Agency predicts that between 2005 and 2050, 75 percent of the world's demand for energy will come from developing countries. As these nations' economies have grown, so have their carbon emissions, primarily powered by fossil fuels.

In recent years, consensus has grown that all countries need to cooperate on climate change issues and controlling GHG emissions. The Kyoto Protocol is the first international measure designed to combat global climate change by implementing legally binding targets for carbon emissions. The US is the only developed nation not to have ratified the treaty, citing concern over the fact that some nations designated as "developing" are not obligated to cut emissions.

These developing countries have argued, however, that industrialized countries did not face any restrictions while growing, and they are therefore obligated to take the initiative in capping emissions. Both China and India have insisted that the US commit to a 40 percent reduction from 1990 emissions levels by 2020.

China is home to an increasing amount of the world's manufacturing base. But while poverty has plummeted, GHG emissions have skyrocketed: China now has higher overall carbon dioxide emissions than any other country. Chinese climate officials have acknowledged the need to reduce emissions, and the government is pursuing a strategy to become the world's leading green economy. In 2007, approximately 17 percent of China's electricity came from renewable sources, and total power is on track to pass the United States in 2012. China's efforts to dominate renewable energy technologies have raised speculation that the West may soon rely on solar panels, wind turbines and other gear manufactured in China.

India's economy is growing at a rate of 8% - 9% per year, and it is projected to continu. India is also the world's fourth-largest overall emitter of carbon dioxide, and it is projected to be the second-largest contributor to the increase in global energy demand by 2035. Consequently, India has put in place a "National Action Plan on Climate Change" that deals with the threat of climate change while recognizing that economic growth is critical to social development and poverty eradication.

The National Action Plan aims to reduce India's emissions intensity by 20% - 25% of 2005 levels by 2020, and it has set a target of increasing renewable energy generation by 40 GW by 2022. This goal is linked not only to climate change but also to concerns over India's coal supplies, which are expected run out in four decades.

In Brazil, deforestation causes most national greenhouse gas emissions. Home to 60 percent of the Amazon Rainforest, Brazil loses some forest to natural causes, some to agriculture, and some to residents who cut timber to claim the land as property. The Brazilian government seeks international help in making it cost-effective for landowners to keep property forested.

According to the United Nations, it will cost $500 - $600 billion annually for developing countries to grow their economies with renewable energy sources. The US and EU have agreed in principle to help developing countries adopt clean energy programs, and international organizations seek mechanisms for funding such efforts. Some corporations participate in carbon-offset programs, supporting renewable-energy or emissions-reduction projects, many of which benefit projects in China, India and Brazil.