The introduction of an emissions trading system and a carbon tax would be effective in reducing Japan's greenhouse gas emissions, an Environment Ministry panel said in an interim report released Friday.
Under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, Japan pledged to slash its its greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent from 1990 levels by 2012. But Tokyo is falling behind on this promise; fiscal 2002 emissions were 7.6 percent higher than in 1990.
Friday's interim report by the Central Environment Council is the first of two reviews of the nation's global warming policies to check the progress being made toward achieving the Kyoto Protocol target. A final report is to be compiled by the end of March.