Japan to talk climate change at G8

With Japan taking its turn as president of the G8 (Group of Eight) industrialised nations in 2008, the Japanese Government wants climate change to be the focus of the summit discussions. The annual G8 conference, involving some of the world's wealthiest nations, provides national leaders with an opportunity to come together and discuss common issues. As the host nation, Japan is pushing strongly for a focus on global warming and in particular, strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. Other topics for discussion look set to include development in Africa, rising oil prices and preventing nuclear proliferation. The summit will be held this year in July at Toyako, in the northern island of Hokkaido. It will be Japan's fifth occasion as G8 president.