The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Monday it plans to set up facilities in Japan and abroad to capture and store carbon dioxide underground in an effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

By using carbon dioxide capture and geological storage technology, known as CCS, Japan aims to reduce carbon dioxide emitted from factories and power plants within the nation by 200 million tons annually with half to be disposed of in Japan and the other half abroad, the ministry said.

It marks the first time the ministry has set a numerical target to cut carbon dioxide emissions using CCS technology. The target of 200 million tons is equivalent to a sixth of current domestic carbon dioxide emissions.