On a balmy Thursday in December, environmentalists convened at the state Capitol to set a tone for the summit on global warming that begins Monday in Copenhagen.

The work of Connecticut, which has set limits on greenhouse emissions, and a group of other states provides a road map for an international agreement on climate change, said Nancy Pyne, field associate with Environment Connecticut, an advocacy group based in West Hartford.

"While there's no doubt that Congress must pass a comprehensive climate bill, our research shows that the states have delivered a down payment on the pollution reductions," said Pyne.

A national report by Environment America says that state policies enacted in recent years will reduce U.S. pollution by the equivalent of 536 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2020. That's equal to the annual emissions of 104 million cars, or about 42 percent of the nation's motor vehicles, the report says.

State Sen. Edward Meyer, D-Guilford, said that a bill reducing greenhouse emissions in Connecticut was the most important piece of legislation that he's been associated with. The legislature passed the bill in 2008.

Rep. Richard Roy, D-Milford, urged Congress to pass legislation or regulations "based on what has been accomplished by Connecticut and other states." Roy and Meyer are co-chairmen of the legislature's environment committee.

Officials from 192 countries are expected in Copenhagen from Monday to Dec. 18 for a United Nations conference on climate change.

Among the world leaders planning to participate are President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

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