Toyako, Japan - The European Union urged Group of Eight (G8) leaders meeting in Japan on Monday to approve "meaningful," "ambitious" and "binding" long-term goals to combat climate change.

"I hope that all G8 members will recognize that we must reduce net global emissions by at least 50 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050," said Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the EU's executive, the European Commission.

At last year's summit in the German seaside resort of Heiligendamm, G8 leaders agreed to "consider seriously" proposals by the EU, Canada and Japan to at least halve global emissions by 2050.

But Barroso, who is representing the EU at the G8, said "serious considerations" were no longer enough.

"We need a decision and clear commitment on these goals," Barroso said.

The commission chief said he would present his case to G8 leaders that fighting climate change could actually help the economy.

"I will insist that we can generate prosperity and create economic opportunities while we engage in ambitious, global climate action towards these targets," Barroso said.

The United States has refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, which called for a 5-per-cent reduction of global emissions on their 1990 levels, because of concerns that it would harm its economy.

And US President George W Bush is also refusing to sign up to a post-Kyoto deal unless other big polluters such as China and India are also taken on board.

But Barroso argued on Monday that an agreement by the G8 would put pressure on those two countries to endorse a global deal.

"If we agree among ourselves, then we are in a much better position to discuss with our Chinese and Indian partners," Barroso said.

The commission chief said that while the G8 should make its long-term commitments on emission cuts "binding," he did not expect this week's summit to produce a numerical target as far as medium term goals were concerned.

"But I hope we will reach an agreement on the principle that we need mid-term goals," Barroso said.

"It is nice to set a long-term goal for our children, but we also need medium-term targets for ourselves," he added.

Japan has made the fight against global warming one of the chief priorities of this year's G8 summit, which opened on Monday in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. (dpa)