President Obama has changed when he will attend international talks in Copenhagen in December, the White House announced Friday, on the grounds that there is a chance of a meaningful deal being struck now that both China and India have identified near-term climate goals.

Obama had planned to stop in Copenhagen on Wednesday, on his way over to Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The president will now travel to Copenhagen on Dec. 18, during the critical time when more than 80 heads of government will convene to fashion a political agreement on curbing the world's greenhouse gas emissions. India announced Thursday it will improve the energy efficiency of its economy between now and 2020; China outlined its own climate target a week earlier.

"After months of diplomatic activity, there is progress being made towards a meaningful Copenhagen accord in which all countries pledge to take action against the global threat of climate change," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs announced Friday afternoon. "Based on his conversations with other leaders and the progress that has already been made to give momentum to negotiations, the President believes that continued US leadership can be most productive through his participation at the end of the Copenhagen conference on December 18th rather than on December 9th. There are still outstanding issues that must be negotiated for an agreement to be reached, but this decision reflects the President's commitment to doing all that he can to pursue a positive outcome."