By Xinhua,
Kobe (Japan) : Ministers from the Group of Eight (G8) countries Saturday gathered in the Japanese city of Kobe to discuss environmental issues in the run-up to the G8 summit scheduled for July 7-9 in Japan.
The three-day conference will discuss major issues of biodiversity and climate change.
Environment ministers and officials from the European Union (EU) and 10 developing countries, including China, India, Brazil, are participating in the meeting.
Japanese Environment Minister Ichiro Kamoshita said in his opening speech that the earth, which is indispensable for the existence of mankind and other living beings, was now faced with grave crises caused by human activities.
“But we must believe that with our wisdom, we are able to build a low-carbon, environmentally friendly society,” the minister said.
The environmental problems such as the global warming have become a major political issue worldwide, he said.
The G8 countries include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Britain and the US. Eight international NGOs are also participating in the conference.