"We are seeing a momentum that makes us confident that maybe we will achieve a result in December," when countries aim to sign a new climate change pact in Copenhagen, the chancellor told parliament in a speech.

She cited as evidence US President Barack Obama's climate bill passed in the US House of Representatives last week, calling it a "turning point."

"But it does not automatically bring us to where we need to be by 2050. Therefore it is important for us (at the G8 summit July 8-10) to make a very clear commitment to the two-degree goal," Merkel said.

She also said that the European Union was "leading the way" on climate change, setting "much more significant" targets than the United States on cutting emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

Under the "American Clean Energy and Security Act", which is yet to pass the US Senate, emissions are set to fall 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, and 83 percent by 2050.

The 27-nation EU is aiming to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. increasing to 30 percent if other big polluters make ambitious commitments in Copenhagen.

But Merkel said that the EU and the US targets mean little if emerging giants like India and China are not on board in Copenhagen, when countries aim to agree on setting emissions reduction targets beyond 2012.

"Even if we manage to reduce emissions not only by 80 percent by 2050 but by 100 percent ... without emerging economies it will be impossible with the current rise in emissions to meet the two-degree target," Merkel said.

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) believes that a rise in temperatures of more than two degrees above pre-industrial levels would be dangerous for the Earth's delicately balanced climatic system.

This would require cuts of between 25 and 40 percent by rich countries by 2020, as well as a brake in the growth of emissions by emerging giants, according to the Nobel-winning panel of climate experts.

The two-degree goal has been enshrined as an objective by more than 100 countries, including the 27 nations of the EU.

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