Prior to the Toyako Group of Eight summit in July 2008, Japan adopted a long-range goal of cutting greenhouse-gas emissions by 60 to 80 percent by 2050 from the current level. But compared with other major developed countries, Japan has been slow in deciding on a midrange reduction goal.
The European Union has announced a plan to reduce emissions by 20 to 30 percent from the 1990 level by 2020. U.S. President Barack Obama proposed during his campaign that his country reduce emissions to the 1990 level by 2020. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that to minimize the effect of global warming, developed nations need to reduce emissions by 25 to 40 percent from the 1990 level by 2020.
The U.N. Climate Change Conference in December 2009 will discuss global efforts to cut emissions in and after 2013 after the expiration in 2012 of the Kyoto Protocol, which require developed nations as a whole to cut emissions by 5.2 percent from the 1990 level. Long- and midrange reduction goals will be important in fueling discussions at the conference.