Japanese business leaders remained cautious Wednesday about an ambitious government proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stressing the need to build a nationwide consensus as the new industry minister urged them to join the debate.
The meeting between the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry underlined the gaps remaining over Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's pledge to cut national carbon emissions 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. But both sides agreed that the government must help strengthen Japanese corporate competitiveness.
"The business community is concerned" about the emissions target, Sadayuki Sakakibara, a vice chairman of the federation, was quoted by a Keidanren official as saying at the meeting.