BUSH SEEKS BROADER `GREENHOUSE' CONVENTION

The Bush administration urged an international conference on global warming to limit mandates on emission reductions to those ``justified in their own right.'' ``A major purpose of the framework convention should be to commit all nations to take measures that are justified in their own right, but also have climate change benefits,'' E. U. Curtis Bohlen, leader of the US group, told delegates.

Mr. Bohlen said any treaty on reducing emissions of ``greenhouse gases'' should take a comprehensive approach that includes all such emissions - not just carbon dioxide.

The administration this week released an ``action agenda'' that said the US was pursuing actions that would reduce US greenhouse emissions to 1987 levels by the year 2000.

These actions include: reducing chlorofluorocarbons; cutting nitrogen oxides and other industrial and powerplant emissions; and limiting carbon dioxide emissions through federal programs to improve energy efficiency.

The message of the US action agenda is that significant measures already have been taken to combat global warming and therefore there is no immediate need to embark on economically painful measures to sharply reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

However, several European governments already have made formal commitments to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent.