Harper, stressing what he said were similarities between his approach and that of the European Union, was speaking two days ahead of a Group of Eight summit in Germany where Bush looks set to be isolated over climate change.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants leaders to commit to cutting greenhouse gases but looks set to be frustrated by Bush, who last week announced his own climate strategy which shied away from fixed targets.

"I believe Chancellor Merkel and I are on the same page on this point at least: all countries must embrace absolute ambitious reduction targets, so that the (Intergovernmental) Panel on Climate Change's goal of cutting emissions in half by 2050 can be met," Harper told business executives.

Harper also praised Merkel's "great leadership and courage" on climate change. A Harper aide told reporters that "we're closer to Merkel than to Bush on this issue."

Merkel was less enthusiastic, telling the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. on Monday that "of course at this point we are not happy that Canada has abandoned Kyoto's goals".

The first stage of the Kyoto accord obliges 35 rich nations to cut emissions of greenhouse gases to 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12 and Harper says he wants to seek consensus on what happens after it runs out in 2012.

This, he said, would mean acting as a bridge between signatories and large emitters such as the United States -- which walked away from the treaty in 2001 -- and China and India, which do not have binding targets.

He stuck to his line that Canada would be crippled if it tried to meet its Kyoto targets on time -- a stance which has prompted vocal criticism from green groups and behind-the-scenes complaints from some European nations.

Earlier this year Ottawa unveiled a gentler plan which initially aimed for a decline in the intensity of emissions as opposed to outright cuts.

Kyoto committed Canada to reducing emissions by six percent from 1990 levels by 2012. The country is 35 percent above that target but Harper said it would eventually catch up with its international partners.

"Canada's long-term target of a 60 to 70 percent reduction of 2006 emissions by 2050 is consistent with cutting global greenhouse gas emissions by half over 1990 levels, the goal sought by the European Union," he said.

This commitment prompted warmer words from Merkel, who told the CBC she was "encouraged that we can agree that (in the) the long term we need to reduce emissions significantly". The two leaders met in Berlin on Monday but glossed over their differences at a news conference.

Harper, speaking earlier in the day, said the Canadian plan could work for other countries, including those which had not been set targets for emissions cuts under Kyoto's first stage.