It is a dilemma that few observers expect the leaders to solve at this week's Group of Eight summit, being held at the scenic resort town of Toyako on the northern island of Hokkaido.

Global growth has slowed this year amid a general credit crunch set off by the U.S. mortgage crisis. At the same time, oil and food prices have soared, putting central bankers in the difficult position of having to decide whether to tap the brakes or step on the gas.

The economic storm clouds have darkened the hopes of a breakthrough on climate change at the summit.

A draft copy of the summit declaration on climate change, obtained by Canwest News Service, suggests the group will stop short of committing to quantifiable long-term targets for cutting worldwide greenhouse-gas emissions.

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has been pushing for the G8 to commit to halving global emissions by mid century.

But the draft declaration, dated June 23, states only that the group will support a "shared vision for long-term co-operative action, including a long-term goal for emission reductions," without citing an exact figure.

This weekend, Environment Minister John Baird said Canada wasn't expecting an agreement on concrete global targets at the summit. Rather, Canada is looking for a deal to be struck by the end of next year, when the United Nations will hold a climate-change conference in Denmark.

That prompted environmentalists on Monday to slam the Harper government for dragging its feet.

"Prime Minister Stephen Harper is fanning the flames of a very dangerous international situation by suggesting that nothing can be done about climate change at the G8 meeting," Greenpeace Canada spokesman David Martin said in an e-mail.

"Canada should be trying to break the global log-jam on global warming, not worsen it."

After meeting with African leaders Monday, the G8 chiefs will huddle all day Tuesday among themselves. At the top of the agenda will be the economy, followed by climate change and development aid. The leaders are also expected to discuss geopolitical issues such as Afghanistan, Iraq and North Korea.

But in a sign of the growing influence of non-G8 economies, no climate-change breakthrough will likely be possible until Wednesday, when the G8 meets with the so-called "Outreach Five:" China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.

The United States, backed by Canada and Japan, has said it will not support a new international climate-change deal that does not include all "major emitters," including China and India.

China and India, in turn, say they will not commit to binding emissions targets until G8 countries lead the way.  

"Stephen Harper is trying to derail progress on global warming by insisting on a unanimous agreement with the developing world," said Martin of Greenpeace. "This all-or-nothing approach will inevitably result in nothing being done."

The impasse has led some to question the effectiveness of the G8, with French President Nicolas Sarkozy floating a proposal to expand the forum to include the Outreach Five. 

The climate-change talks come a day after aid activists accused Canada of lagging other G8 nations in funding the world's poorest countries. The aid groups also accused Canada of blocking a U.S.-led push to improve health care in Africa, a charge that Canadian officials denied.

Separately, G8 leaders sent a strong message to African leaders that the Zimbabwean regime of Robert Mugabe is "illegitimate" and should be ousted as soon as possible.

The G8 met Monday with leaders from eight African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria and Tanzania.

"The message is that ... the Mugabe regime is an illegitimate regime and that it should be ended," said a senior Canadian official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

Source: Vancouver Sun

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