The Ministry of International Trade and Industry said Tuesday that it will draw up specific guidelines on emissions of three greenhouse gases and request that industries make maximum efforts to curb their emissions of those gases.
The move comes in response to an interim report put forward earlier in the day by a subcommittee of the Chemical Product Council, an advisory body to the minister for international trade and industry.
The three gases -- sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons -- are among those which were made subject to quantified emission limitations at December's U.N. conference on global warming in Kyoto. At the conference, Japan promised to reduce emissions of six greenhouse gases, also including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, by 6 percent from 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012.
The council's report acknowledges that demands for SF6, HFCs and PFCs will inevitably increase in coming years, but recommends that industries create their own measures to curb emissions. SF6 and PFCs are used in the process of manufacturing semiconductors, while HFCs are used for refrigeration.
MITI's guideline, to be presented as early as Thursday, calls for minimizing gas leakage, establishing recycling systems and developing substitute products. The ministry said it will request industry plans outlining specific emission-reducing measures by mid April for further deliberations at the council.