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Yesterday morning's session saw the     G-8 leaders come face to face with their counterparts from Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa - the so-called G-5 - to address a number of issues, including the sticky topic of global warming.

The G-8 nations - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States - pride themselves on being democracies, although many would question whether Russia qualifies as one. They issue headline-grabbing statements and express deep concern over spiralling oil prices, and call for transparency in the dialogue between oil producing and consuming countries.

The G-5, while lacking in democratic credentials, should be praised for staying the course. It used this opportunity to question richer nations about the global responsibility that comes with their wealth. They told the G-8 that the "50 by 50" proposal - halving emissions by 2050 - did not go far enough. They suggested that emission cuts could reach as much as 80 to 95 per cent by 2050.

The rich nations said the objective "will only be possible through common determination of all major economies". This means that China, India and other rapidly developing nations must get on board.

While the G-8 may have a point, it should not conveniently forget the historic responsibility of the world's old powers. While no one can say where the line in the sand should be drawn, all sides must work together to come up with a fair balance when talking about responsibilities.

"Trade-distorting agricultural support in developed countries has hampered the development of food production capacity in developing countries, critically reducing the possibilities of reaction to the present crisis," the G-5 said in a joint declaration.

But pointing the finger at rich nations is easy. Poorer countries could do more to encourage local consumption and production, as well as lifting their export restrictions on food.

In the final analysis, this is not a zero-sum game. What is needed is the political will from all sides to do the right thing.