Japan recently announced its plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 60-80 percent by 2050. They also plan to match or better European reduction levels over the next 12 years.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda announced Monday that he is trying to establish Japan as a world leader in the field, also stating that his
country will contribute $1.2 billion to an international greenhouse gas
reductions fund and will take a more supportive role in establishing an
emissions trading market worldwide.

Fukuda will host a meeting of the leaders of the Group of Eight
developed countries in Japan next month, where he hopes to use that
summit to help create an international consensus about measures to deal
with greenhouse gas reduction.

Japan, which Fukuda said is
already a leader in the worldwide effort to reduce greenhouse gases, is
willing to take difficult measures to set an example for others.

"All nations of the world, including our own, must participate in this
effort to make it work," he said in a policy speech. "We can bolster
Japan's standing in international society and strengthen our economy
further by taking a leading role in the CO2 reduction revolution."

Fukuda has dubbed
Japan's plan to reduce their emissions the "Cool Earth Initiative." He also called on the nations of the
world to strive to cut by half the global carbon dioxide output by
2050. G-8 summit leaders voiced support for that last year.

European nations support a U.N. scientific finding that emissions
cuts of between 25 percent to 40 percent by 2020 are needed to stop
global temperatures from rising so high they trigger widespread
environmental damage.

Realistically, however, Fukuda said the EU
nations are looking at a reduction of about 14 percent from current
levels, a target he said Japan can match. The EU's higher numbers are
based on reductions from 1990 levels.

The United States, which has refused to set similar targets, considers
such cuts beyond reach. Developing nations, meanwhile, are clamoring
for commitments by rich countries before they discuss what poorer
countries should do.

Fukuda said Japan would use a broad range of strategies to reduce its
emissions, including investment in new technologies, stiff construction
standards to create energy efficient buildings, an array of tax
incentives and a public awareness campaign.

Read the complete article at: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/06/09/japan.targets.ap/index.html#cnnSTCText

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