Top governmental officials in Japan are planning to reconsider the pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Yoshihide Suga, Chief Cabinet Secretary, stated that the target set in Tokyo in 2009 is too ambitious and difficult to achieve.
The prime minister at the time, Yukio Hatoyama, has set the pledge right after the election victory if the centre-left Democratic Party of Japan.
He was convinced that by year 2020, the nation would be able to cut emissions by 25% from the levels measured in year 1990. He urged the world’s major polluters- China and The US, to make drastic reductions as well.
The nuclear disaster in Fukushima, however, put Japan’s atomic energy programme on hold. This increased the use of fossil fuels, which consequently increased the emissions.
The current prime minister, Shinzo Abe was elected in December last year, right after he stated that he would review the target considering the switch to fossil fuels.
