Australia and the United States are the only major industrialised nations to reject the Kyoto Protocol, the landmark treaty requiring cuts in gas emissions, arguing it is unfair the treaty makes no demands of emerging economies.

On a visit to Tokyo, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia was doing its part to fight global warming, particularly through research.

"But Australia is only 1.5 percent of global emissions, so whatever Australia does, even if you close down Australia tomorrow -- something I would regard as extremely undesirable -- it wouldn't have a perceptible impact on the climate change issue," Downer told reporters.

"Everybody needs to make a contribution. Different countries can make different contributions in different ways. For us, we are setting up an emissions trading scheme and the government is investing very heavily in research and development."

Downer questioned a draconian approach, saying: "You will not succeed in getting China to abandon a policy of lifting people out of poverty, or getting India to abandon a policy of lifting people out of poverty."

"You will succeed by ensuring that there is appropriate investment in research and development and new technologies that come on stream over time. That is going to be the best way of dealing with this."

His comments come amid discord on climate change ahead of the summit in Germany of the Group of Eight major industrialised nations, which includes Japan.

Downer said Australia would exert leadership on the issue when it hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in September.

"As host, we are working hard to ensure that APEC delivers some real outcomes," Downer said.

"Australia and Japan share similar thinking on climate change. We agree that the international effort must engage all the major emitters to be effective," he said.

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