Japan supporting move for G7 climate targets

Japan is supporting a move for the Group of Seven (G7) nations to set their own targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions as a key summit starts in Germany.

The G7 meeting started on Sunday in Bavaria and German Chancellor Angela Merkel has put climate change and energy issues high on the agenda.

Germany is the chair of the 2015 G7 and a session on climate and energy topics is scheduled for Monday morning.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met French President Francois Hollande in the build up to the summit and was asked whether the G7 countries should set individual targets.

A spokesperson for Abe said: "The best scenario would be yes but... let's wait tomorrow's G7 leaders' discussion."

Germany and France have been pressing for specific emissions reduction targets for the G7 nations as well as joint climate financing initiatives.

The meeting in the Bavarian Alps is a key opportunity for the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States to discuss environmental policy in the build up to the major U.N. climate conference in December.

The 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) takes place in the French capital later this year and a global deal to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is expected to be agreed.

The G7 meeting coincides with key U.N. negotiations in Bonn, where officials from nearly 200 countries are meeting to work out the foundation of a global deal to combat climate change, due to be signed in Paris in December.