Merkel urges pioneering role by industry nations on climate issues

May 10, 2007, 15:43 GMT

Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday urged leading industrial nations to play a pioneering role on climate matters in order to prod emerging economies like China and India into action.

'There is no chance of winning over developing countries unless the industrial states set an example,' she said in reference to the climate discussion expected to dominate the Group of Eight summit in Germany next month.

The chancellor, who met earlier with representatives of the business-sponsored climate groups 2 Degrees and 3C, said she would not criticize China or India, who are among the world's biggest polluters.

Merkel said China had already made advances in environmental awareness, but it was important to persuade emerging economies to decouple greenhouse gas emissions from economic growth.

Germany did this in the 1970s, said the chancellor, who praised the efforts of 2 Degrees and 3C to allay fears that climate protection and economic growth were incompatible.

Leaders of the world's major industrial nations will be meeting for the G8 summit in the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm from June 6-8.

Germany, current president of the G8, has invited China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa to join the host nation and Japan, the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Italy and Russia at the summit.