The world’s top producers of greenhouse gases pledged to battle climate change today, but failed to agree on targets for reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

AID for Africa — and whether enough was coming from the world’s biggest economic powers — was in the spotlight as the Group of Eight nations met with seven African leaders at its annual summit.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the G8 nations must reach agreement among themselves on climate change measures and avoid taking the approach that “I will do nothing unless you do it first,” which he called a “vicious circle".

US President George Bush labelled Zimbabwe’s election a sham today as G8 leaders kicked off their annual summit.