The task of drafting a joint strategy for the world's eight richest nations to tackle climate change passes to their leaders today after top negotiators failed to reach acompromise at a meetingyesterday.
The failure of the so-called Group of Eight sherpas to agree on a communiqué for the central issue of this week's summit means that, instead of discussingpre-negotiated documents, the leaders are set for a direct confrontation at Heiligendamm, the luxury resort on Germany's Baltic Sea coast that hosts the annual get-together.
The talks begin today, ahead of the summit proper, with a lunch between Angela Merkel and George W. Bush. The chancellor of Germany, which holds this year's G8 presidency, and the US president represent the group's two poles of opinion on climate change.
The G8 leaders must also resolve differences on the question of whether to define new targets for development assistance and funding for Aids programmes in Africa. A draft summit communiqué dated June 1, obtained by the Financial Times, includes references to the Gleneagles target of increasing development aid by $50bn (£25bn) a yearby 2010.
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