Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said here on Tuesday the Group of Eight meeting he would attend in Japan was unlikely to reach a breakthrough on the issue of climate change.
"This is the first major economies meeting at heads of government level and the first G8 outreach meeting attended by Australia," Rudd told reporters before flying to Japan to attend the G8 meeting in Hokkaido, Japan with Climate Change Minister Penny Wong, at which they will be official observers.
Rudd is among leaders taking part in a gathering of major greenhouse emitters on Wednesday, but will speak for just six minutes.
"This major economies meeting at heads of government level on climate change is the first to be held and this G8 outreach meeting is the first that Australia will attend," he said.
"On the question of climate change, I will be engaging world leaders on the need for us to achieve real progress on the post-Kyoto road map. Looking to this meeting, I doubt that this meeting will achieve major breakthroughs but it is important to use this meeting to help fashion a consensus on the need for us all to act together on climate change because all our economic and environmental interests are at stake," Rudd added.
On energy security, the prime minister said he would be urging the world community to address the challenges facing global energy production and supply and refining capability.
"Furthermore, on the question of food security, we have a huge challenge on our hands right now and that is to achieve a major breakthrough at the World Trade Organization Doha round of negotiations," he said.
Source: Xinhua
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