Environment ministers from rich countries and other major greenhouse gas emitters kicked off talks on ways to curb emissions and save species as the United States called for a global fund to develop clean technologies.
Ministers and their representatives said on Saturday that action was urgently needed to tackle climate change, but advanced and developing countries are split on how to cut greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
The three-day meeting of the Group of Eight and rapidly growing economies such as China and India comes as poor countries balk at global targets to cut emissions, demanding that rich nations cut their own and pay for costly clean energy projects.
Japan said the G8 needed to show initiative for developing countries to do their part in fighting climate change, blamed for droughts, rising seas and more intense storms.
"We need to send a message that we will make it easier for emerging countries to act, with financial mechanisms and technological cooperation," Japanese Environment Minister Ichiro Kamoshita told reporters.
"At the same time, the G8 must make clear their stance that they will act firmly," he said.
Delegates, meeting in the port city of Kobe, are tasked with building momentum for talks on setting long-term targets to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, an issue to be taken up at a leaders' summit in July.
G8 leaders agreed last year in Germany to consider seriously a goal to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a proposal favoured by Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan and Canada.
But developing countries, keen to put economic growth first, have resisted targets without the United States doing more to cut emissions and have demanded that rich nations help with funds to pay for clean technology.
"Technology and finance should be taken up in discussions," China's Xie Zhenhua, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, told the meeting.
