KOBE — The United Nations' top climate-change official expressed concern Saturday about what Japan means by "industrial sectoral" approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and warned that the concept should not replace national targets in any new environmental treaty that would take effect when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
"Recent statements in the Japanese media have made it less clear what Japan's intentions are vis a vis sectoral approaches. There have been statements that sectoral approaches are far superior to national goals and these create the impression that one is intended to replace the other," said Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in an interview with The Japan Times Saturday evening.
"The G8 environment ministers' conference represents an opportunity for Japan to make clear what, exactly, it means," he said.