Geneva - The United States will donate at least 250,000 dollars to the World Climate Conference, the country's mission to Geneva said Tuesday.

The donation would make the US an official sponsor of the event, in what was seen as a sharp turn from the policies on climate change of the previous administration.

The WCC is set to take place in Geneva at the end of August and will focus on prediction services and climate-risk management. This will be the third such conference hosted by the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the first since 1990.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will give 250,000 dollars and another donation is expected to come from the State Department, the Mission said.

"Confronting the challenge of climate change is a centerpiece of the Obama administration's agenda," said a spokesperson for the US Mission.

Esther Brimmer, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, made the announcement during a tour of Geneva, which was meant, officials said, to highlight the new US administration's commitment to "multilateral engagement."

During her two-day visit, Brimmer met with various UN agencies and non-governmental organizations in Geneva, including Michel Jarraud, the head of the WMO.