The bill's chief backer, California Democrat Dianne Feinstein, lamented the decision by the George W. Bush administration to pull out of the international climate change treaty.

"More than 140 nations, including all 25 members of the European Union, Russia and China, have ratified the agreement to reduce man-made emissions of greenhouse gases," Feinstein said, in introducing the bill on the Senate floor.

"Of the worlds 38 industrialized countries, only the United States, Australia and Monaco have not ratified the protocol," she said, noting that the United States is the biggest single source of greenhouse gases.

"I believe the United States is making a huge mistake and is missing this important opportunity to protect our planets environment," said Feinstein.

The bill urges Washington to "demonstrate international leadership and responsibility regarding reducing the health, environmental, and economic risks posed by climate change," and to carry out "reasonable and responsible actions to ensure significant and meaningful reductions in emissions of all greenhouse gases."

The bipartisan legislation was co-sponsored by several prominent senators, including Republicans Olympia Snowe and John McCain, and Democrats Joe Lieberman and Barbara Boxer, among others.

All rights reserved. copyright 2018 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.