G7 faces pressure on fossil fuels at Japan climate talks

G7 allies kicked off two days of "difficult" climate talks in northern Japan on Saturday, facing pressure to show progress on key fossil fuel commitments in an example to other major economies including China.

Campaigners have warned climate and environment ministers from the group of developed countries against backsliding on pledges on the shift away from coal and gas at home and abroad.

But a leaked third draft of a statement to be issued at the meeting in Sapporo has relieved some experts, who had feared a more ringing endorsement of the need for overseas gas investments as proposed by Japan.

"All in, given low expectations, it now seems a better outcome than many expected," said Ed King from the climate-oriented communications firm GSCC.

The ministers want to show unity after a major UN climate report warned last month that 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming would be seen in about a decade. It called for "rapid and far-reaching" action to keep increases within relatively safe limits.

However, as as the energy crisis sparked by the Ukraine war squeezes G7 countries, including this year's president Japan, divisions have arisen among the group.

A French government source said their minister was trying to "avoid or put a stop to any form of reversal on fossil fuel" commitments, while describing "difficult" discussions among the bloc.

The draft statement calls on nations to take action "in this critical decade", urging a peak in global greenhouse emissions by 2025 at the latest.

Experts say this language is aimed at China, the world's largest carbon emitter, which is targeting a peak in its carbon emissions by 2030.

The draft also stresses the "urgency" of slashing global emissions by 60 percent by 2035 from 2019 levels, as recommended by the UN's IPCC panel of climate experts.