Japan sets new and ambitious targets

clipped from blog.reegle.info Japan’s new prime minister-elect, Mr. Yukio Hatoyama, is going to fight climate change by backing deep emission cuts. As host of the Kyoto summit in 1997, Japan is keen to reposition itself at the forefront of the battle against climate change. Its emissions rose 2.3% in the year to March 2008, putting it 16% above its 2012 Kyoto target. Mr. Hatoyama also agrees that industrialized nations will have to provide financial support as well set an example for developing countries. UN-top climate officials told AFP that without such steps and a strong commitment to slash emissions on all sides global climate treaties will be defeated. Poor countries and emerging economies insist that highly industrialized countries, namely the U.S, the E.C. (plus Norway and Switzerland) and Japan, are historically responsible for global warming and therefore have a moral obligation to take a leading role to reduce CO2 emissions. Right now Japan is the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases worldwide.