The Group of Five (G5) nations made up of Brazil, Mexico, China, India and
South Africa, meet on the sidelines of the Group of Eight (G8) summit in
northern Japan. 

 SAPPORO, JAPAN (JULY 8, 2008) REUTERS - 

Leaders of Brazil, Mexico, China, India and South Africa met in a
Sapporo hotel on Tuesday (July 8) ahead of their meeting with the Group of
Eight (G8) leaders on Wednesday (July 9). 
    The five, also called the Group of Five, discussed issues from soaring
food and fuel prices to African poverty and global warming. 
    South African Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk rejected a
G8 statement on climate change earlier on Tuesday (July 8) that set a 'vision'
but no firm targets to achieve big cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
    Van Schalkwyk said a long-term goal "must be underpinned by
ambitious mid-term targets and action," adding that the goals should be
"based on an equitable burden-sharing paradigm".
    The G8 leaders agreed on a communiqué on Tuesday (July 8), which said
they would work with nearly 200 states in the United Nations climate change
talks to adopt a goal of at least halving greenhouse gas emissions by
2050.
    The communiqué also said mid-term goals would be needed to achieve the
mission.
    The European Union and Japan have been pressing for a G8 statement that
goes beyond a summit pledge made last year to "seriously consider" a
goal of halving global carbon emissions by mid-century and refers to the need
for interim targets as well. 
    Senior officials from the G8 nations met late into the previous night
to thrash out wording that would allow President George W. Bush to put aside
deep misgivings and sign a global goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by
the middle of the century.
    Bush is under strong pressure from Japan and Europe but says he will
not back a numerical target unless big polluters including China and India
agree to binding commitments to curb their carbon pollution.
    On Wednesday (July 9)  the G8 leaders will meet with leaders from eight
other big greenhouse gas-emitting countries, like South Korea, Australia,
India and China for the Major Economies Meeting. 
    In sharp contrast to previous gatherings, this year's summit, in a
remote corner of Japan amid rolling hills, has seen only a couple of thousand
protesters gather, who are outnumbered by police by 10 to one.
    About 100 anti-summit protesters marched through the streets of
Sapporo, the capital of Japan's Northernmost island of Hokkaido where the G8
meetings are being held.
    The protesters, wearing helmets with "anti-war" written on
them, chanted their slogans criticising not only G8 countries but also
China.
     "Chinese authorities, in the name of interacting socialism and
capitalism, are accelerating their plot to turn the country into a capitalist
country and are plunging many common people into the bottom of poverty,"
said Shigeki Okuno, the All Japan student union chairman and protest
organizer. 
    But the peaceful march attracted far fewer demonstrators than the
weekend protests, when almost 2,000 people marched though the streets and four
men were arrested.