President Obama has launched a Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, with the group's first meeting to be set in Washington in April. This will be followed in July by a summit in Italy. Obama has invited the leaders of the leading industrial nations, as well as the secretary general of the United Nations, to participate in the forum. The White House has said that the forum was designed to 'help generate the political leadership necessary to achieve a successful outcome' at the U.N. climate change negotiations that will be taking place in Copenhagen in December. It also wanted to explore 'concrete initiatives and joint ventures that increase the supply of clean energy while cutting greenhouse gas emissions.'

More than 1 million, mostly students take to the streets in France disrupting air, rail and bus travel in the largest nationwide protest over the "Contrat premiere embauche" (CPE - First Employment Contract or Beginning Workers Contract) which would make it much easier for workers under twenty-six years old to be fired. The main parts of the bill which caused protests included Allowed employers the opportunity to terminate employment of workers under twenty-six without any reason, with little or no notice, within their first two years of employment Night lab our being permitted for youths as young as 15 years old Suspension of family welfare in cases of students skipping school Possibility of manual lab our apprenticeship for 14-year-olds The bill was seen by many as a direct attack on younger workers but the government believed by easing these laws it would encourage companies to take on younger employees. The new "Contrat premiere embauche" CPE was scrapped by Chirac on April 10 under the pressure of ongoing protest and blockade throughout France.