Earth Protect Blog

Japan PM to draft Green New Deal

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso will order his ministries to draft a "Green New Deal" this week to counter the twin threats of climate change and the economic downturn, a report said Sunday.

Aso will order a stimulus package focusing on slashing greenhouse gases at a meeting of his global warming advisory panel Wednesday, the business daily Nikkei said citing unnamed government sources.

The report came as new US President Barack Obama vowed to Japan, which has pledged to reduce carbon emissions up to 80 percent by 2050, will announce its mid-term target by June, Aso said in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month.

At Wednesday's meeting, his government will present various plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 15 percent from 1990 levels by the year 2020, the Nikkei said.

Staff Writers
Tokyo (AFP) Feb 8, 2009