Washington  - A collection of 17 interest groups in the United States urged world leaders to speed up efforts to reach a new global deal on curbing emissions that cause global warming, in a letter Friday to government delegates meeting in Poland this week.

The group of environmental, science, health and religious organizations said the US was ready to lead the way towards an international agreement by the end of 2009, which would set more stringent caps on countries' polluting emissions.

"The American public is committed to action on climate change and clean energy as never before," the letter stated.

The group cited president-elect Barack Obama's willingness to re- engage the US in international negotiations and push for mandatory cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions back in the United States.

President George W Bush has opposed forcing emissions limits on US companies and has been roundly criticized by environmental groups for not doing enough to tackle global warming. The US stayed out of the international community's first stab at a climate treaty - the Kyoto Protocol.

Government officials are meeting in Poznan, Poland this week and next to lay the groundwork for talks over the coming year on a treaty to succeed Kyoto in 2012. A global deal is supposed to be agreed to at a final summit in Copenhagen next December, but many believe that is unlikely.

"We will be devoting our efforts and resources over the next year to help president-elect Obama resurrect America's lost leadership on global warming and the environment," the letter said.

"With diligent efforts by all countries and a renewed spirit of American international cooperation, we are confident that an agreement on climate change can be reached by the end of next year."

The group included the National Wildlife Federation, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Pennsylvania Interfaith Climate Change Campaign and the Pew Environment Group. (dpa)