Ministers from the Group of Eight (G8) agreed to take more actions to tackle illegal logging and climate change in Africa, said a statement released Friday when the G8 Environment and Development Minister meeting concluded in Derby, central England.

"Illegal logging and climate change in Africa were two weighty issues on the agenda of this meeting," Margaret Beckett, British Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said on a press briefing after the meeting which started Thursday.

According to a recent World Bank estimate, illegal logging currently costs developing countries between 10-15 billion US dollars annually.

Since the adoption of the G8 "Action Program on Forests" in May1998, the rate of illegal logging has actually increased, said NGOs which were invited to the first-ever meeting of G8 environment and development ministers.

Ministers agree to tackle both the supply of and demand for illegal timber by taking steps to halt the import and marketing of illegally logged timber, doing more to support developing countries' own efforts to enforce forest law and improve governance, said the statement issued by the ministers.

"This is a very important agreement. Illegal logging is a problem shared by those producing and exporting timber and timber products and those that import them. Tackling illegal logging will enable the poorest countries to manage their forests better, reduce poverty and protect natural resources," said Hilary Benn, UK Secretary of State for International Development on the briefing.

Officials also discussed the urgent need to assist Africa to adapt to climate change and make it better to cope with the threat.

Britain announced it will put further 100,000 pounds (192,000 US dollars) towards regional predictions of climate change for Africa and 400,000 pounds (792,000 US dollars) over the next three years to support Africa to tackle climate change.

"The priority for Africa must be to reduce its vulnerability to existing extremes of climate and to prepare it for longer-term in the future," said Beckett.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has put climate change and Africa at the top of the agenda for Britain's presidency of the G8in 2005.

Last week, the British Commission for Africa launched a report calling for slashing crushing debt, ending rich-nation trade protectionism and better direction of billions of dollars a year in aid.

In return African nations must enforce good governance and enshrine the rule of law.

Earlier, a spokesman for the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the two-day meeting near the central English city of Derby was a formal recognition that the environment was linked to sustainable development.

The meeting was attended by ministers from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, as well as officials from the United Nations, the World Bank, the European Commission, NGOs and institutes.

Source: Xinhua