The G7 Ministers' Meeting on Climate, Energy, and Environment has opened in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo.

The host nation is working with the Group of Seven ministers to formulate a joint declaration from the meeting.

Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi said in opening remarks that he hopes the ministers will have in-depth discussions on important issues. He also said he hopes the G7 ministers will send messages to support the goals of stabilizing energy markets and reducing global carbon emissions.

Japan's Environment Minister Nishimura Akihiro said the Russian invasion of Ukraine is seriously harming the global environment and energy system. He stressed the importance of the G-7 leading the global response.

Japan is seeking a consensus on the contentious issue of coal-fired power generation. European nations have been demanding a timeline for abolishing coal-fired power generation. But the joint declaration is not likely to include such a target.

Instead, the document will likely say such power generation should be phased out if measures for cutting carbon emissions are not taken for the use of coal, oil and natural gas.

The ministers are expected to reaffirm the importance of developing liquefied natural gas for thermal power generation. The fuel known as LNG is especially important in light of tight energy supplies caused by conflicts in Ukraine.

Japan and Western nations remain divided over the decarbonization of the auto industry.

The United States and some European nations want to set targets regarding electric vehicles, but Japan has taken a cautious stance. Gas-electric hybrids are more common in the country.

The agenda also includes calls for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases to meet the goal of limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

They will also likely discuss how to promote a circular economy in which businesses reuse and recycle resources, and reduce energy consumption.

Much of the focus is on whether host nation Japan can build consensus on those issues.