The United States and Japan have called for a global fund for clean technology research and have called for a G8 initiative so that poorer countries can do their part in fighting climate change, which is blamed for droughts, rising seas and more intense storms.

Environment ministers and their representatives meeting at a Group of Eight conference on global warming have sought urgent action to curb greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, but developing countries and the developed countries are split on how to share the burden.

Major developing economies, however, wanted developed countries to help finance clean energy technologies to help fight climate change. Developing countries, especially the less developed ones, are demanding that the rich nations cut their own and pay for costly clean energy projects of the poor.

The three-day meeting of the Group of Eight was also attended by rapidly growing economies such as China and India and Brazil.

"Certainly the private sector has an important role to play ... but we think that states also and governments have a role to play in helping developing countries to develop technology," Brazilian delegate Ana Maria Fernandes told the meeting, adding, it was vital for developed countries to pass on know-how and help fund research for new technologies.

"We need to send a message that we will make it easier for emerging countries to act, with financial mechanisms and technological cooperation," Japanese environment minister Ichiro Kamoshita said on the sidelines of the meeting.

The G8 is trying to arrive at a consensus on setting long-term targets to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

G8 leaders agreed last year in Germany to consider a goal to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a proposal favoured by Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan and Canada.

But developing countries, keen to put growth first, have resisted targets without the United States doing more to cut emissions.

Japan, which has sent fuel-cell and hybrid cars to pick up delegates from the airport, and has called on participants to bring their own cups and chopsticks to cut trash, is debating its own long-term reduction target.

Domestic media have urged the government to set a mid-term goal to show Tokyo can take the lead on climate change at the G8 and in UN-led efforts for a new framework after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.