LONDON, Nov 1: Group of Eight energy and environment ministers huddled with their counterparts from China, India and other new economic powers in London on Tuesday, exploring the way forward on combating climate change.

It is imperative that we find new ways to cooperate and develop a shared understanding of how the world can respond to climate change, said British Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett, who was chairing the 20-nation talks.

There is no greater challenge facing the world.

But environmental groups feared the dialogue — the first of its kind — would simply produce frothy statements unless participants agreed concrete proposals for a forthcoming United Nations conference in Montreal.

The November 28 to December 9 meeting in the Canadian city will explore climate negotiations after the current Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

The Kyoto treaty legally commits signatories to trim their output of six greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, by 2012 compared with 1990 levels. However, its impact has been limited by the United States opting out.

Prime Minister Tony Blair’s spokesman said Monday that Britain wants to see a consensus emerge from the London meeting on moving beyond the Kyoto framework.

Blair’s key objective is to involve not just the United States, but also India and China in agreeing how to develop sustainable energy supplies.

Progress had been made by involving China, India and other emerging powers in the G8’s climate negotiations, he said, adding that the aim now was “turning that progress into reality and about how we exchange energy technology”.

Steve Sawyer, Greenpeace International’s climate policy adviser, expressed concern that the gathering would produce empty promises rather than constructive proposals for Montreal.

They should reiterate their commitments to Kyoto and emissions reductions and the carbon markets created by them, he told AFP.

It would be better if they sent unambiguous signals that they were committed to building on Kyoto rather than abandoning it and having a wonderful show of pandering to the US administration, which is what we all fear.

Unless they’re binding, hard commitments, it’s just wishy-washy talk of voluntary partnerships and fluffy agreements.

The London meeting gathers those countries expected to consume the most energy in the coming 30 to 40 years.

Invited are Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and South Africa. Iran has been asked to participate as well, but its attendance was in doubt after a row over remarks last week from Tehran threatening Israel.

The meeting was also to focus on energy and technology, looking at how to move to a low-carbon economy and how soon that goal can be reached.

Britain’s Trade and Industry Minister Alan Johnson said that energy technology had a crucial role to play in addressing future climate and energy challenges.

The meeting was a chance to take forward work on climate and energy, to build on existing work and increase dialogue and engagement with economies with significant energy needs including China and India, he said.—AFP