British Prime Minister Tony Blair pledged to make climate change a priority of Britain's presidency of both the G8 and the European Union in 2005 to combat the world's "greatest environmental challenge."

"Climate change will be a top priority for our G8 presidency next year," Blair said at a meeting in central London on Tuesday. "I do not underestimate the difficulties. this remains an issue of high and fraught politics for many countries. But it is imperative we try."

"And the EU presidency provides a great opportunity to push this debate to a new and better level that, after the discord over Kyoto, offers the prospect of agreement and action," Blair said.

Blair described the UN Kyoto protocol designed to cap emissions of greenhouse gases as "the first step" and "a solid foundation" for climate diplomacy although President Bush disappointed the world in 2001 by pulling the United States, the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, out of the protocol.

"We know there is disagreement with the US over this issue. In 1997 the US Senate voted 95-0 in favor of a resolution that stated it would refuse to ratify such a treaty. I doubt time has shifted the numbers very radically," Blair said.

The prime minister noted the richest countries has the responsibility to tackle the climate change crisis that is seeing temperatures rise, glaciers melt, and sea levels rise.

"It is the poorest countries in the world that will suffer most from severe weather events, longer and hotter droughts and rising oceans. Yet it is they who have contributed least to the problem," he said. "That is why the world's richest nations in the G8 have a responsibility to lead the way: for the strong nations to better help the weak."

Blair highlighted three key parts of his G8 strategy for 2005: to secure an agreement as to the basic science on climate change and the threat it poses, to agree on a process to speed up the science, technology and other measures necessary to meet the threat, and in addition to G8 countries, to engage other countries to cut greenhouse gases.

Liberal Democratic environment spokesman Norman Baker told the BBC if Blair was sincere he would scrap government plans for more roads and airport terminals. "How many hurricanes and tornadoes will it take for the prime minister to realize that paying lip service to the environmental is just no use," Baker asked.

The prime minister also faces pressure to take action to push US president George bush to take climate change seriously.

On Monday, opposition Conservative leader Michael Howard urged Blair to make the US shift on climate change by saying: "It is very disappointing that Tony Blair has not succeeded in persuading the present administration that the challenge of global warming is one that cannot be shirked."

Source: Xinhua