InsideJapan News Network

The leaders of G8 economies meeting in Japan have agreed to halve greenhouse-gas emissions by the middle of the century.

In a statement, the G8 group said: "This global challenge can only be met by a global response, in particular, by the contributions from all major economies."

Kim Carstensen, director of the WWF Global Climate Initiative said the announcement fell "dangerously short of what is needed to protect people and nature from climate change".

Japan has set itself an ambitious emissions-cutting target of between 60 and 80 per cent by 2050, reports the International Herald Tribune.

Prime minister Yasuo Fukuda said that G8 nations would implement "aggressive" midterm total emission reduction targets on a country-by-country basis.

Scientist believe urgent action is needed to ensure greenhouse gas emissions reach their peak in the next ten to 15 years. An increase in global temperatures of more than two per cent could lead to potentially catastrophic events such as extreme weather and melting ice sheets.