Paris, April 24 -- Environment ministers from G7 nations launched a two-day meeting in Paris on Thursday with climate change kept off the agenda to avoid a row with the United States. The office of France's ecology minister Monique Barbut had said the Group of Seven would focus on "less contentious issues" to appease its largest and most powerful member, drawing criticism from activists. Barbut said the G7 "must remain a forum for convergence" and France as host was prioritising unity at a time when environmental protection was slipping down the global agenda. "I hope we can send a strong message of unity and ambition", Barbut said at the opening of the meeting. Italy, Canada, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom sent their environment min...