The need to cut greenhouse gas emissions and the lack of a strategy for this makes it hard to approve a new coal-fired power plant planned by a venture between Osaka Gas Co. and Electric Power Development Co., Environment Minister Yoshio Mochizuki said Friday.

The comment came after the Nikkei Shimbun said Mochizuki opposes the plant because it jeopardizes Japan's greenhouse gas reduction target.

"It is difficult for the project to gain approval at this point because a framework hasn't been set up" to tackle climate change in the power industry, Mochizuki told reporters Friday in Tokyo. "There is a threat to achieving our emission cut target if we continue introducing coal power stations."