Yukio Hatoyama, Japan's incoming prime minister, yesterday pledged to go ahead with plans for an aggressive cut in greenhouse gas emissions in spite of opposition from business groups.
Mr Hatoyama's Democratic party ousted Japan's long-ruling Liberal Democratic party in last month's general election, and promised in its campaign manifesto that if it came to power it would set a target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020.
The Keidanren, Japan's biggest business lobby, last week asked the DPJ to reconsider its carbon-cutting plans, saying it wanted a national debate on their economic impact. Business argues that oil-import dependent Japan is already highly energy efficient and that further emission reductions could undermine the economy.