Japan's environment minister said yesterday the world's second largest economy should cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 15 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020.
Tetsuo Saito said Japan could meet the target through greater solar power development, cleaner cars and ecologically friendly homes.
He said Japan could aim for a 25 per cent cut if it factored in carbon trading, forest absorption of carbon dioxide and its contributions to developing countries.
Prime Minister Taro Aso plans to announce Japan's so-called mid-term target in June ahead of a December meeting in Copenhagen set to hammer out a new climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012.
"How important is it to create a framework that includes China, the US, India and other major emitters in order for us to protect the Earth?" said Mr Saito in an interview with public broadcaster NHK.
"Industrial nations including Japan need to present ambitious targets. I believe it is a good option for Japan to work toward a 15 per cent reduction."
By comparison, the EU has said it would slash emissions by 20 per cent of 1990 levels by 2020 and raise the target to 30 per cent if others set similarly ambitious goals.
Japan's government this month launched a public survey in which it proposed six options - ranging from a four percent increase of emissions to a reduction of more than 25 per cent. Over 45 per cent of respondents backed a seven percent cut, 13.5 per cent supported a 15 per cent reduction, and 4.9 per cent favoured a 25 per cent cut.
The survey also showed that 15.3 per cent support a four per cent increase in emission from 1990 levels - the target also favoured by one of the country's three big industrial lobbies, the Japan Business Federation. For the longer term, Japan and the European Union agree that the global target should be a 50 per cent emission cut by 2050, but they disagree on which year should be the base year to calculate the target.
Japan argues that the resource-poor country has already achieved a highly energy-efficient lifestyle and industrial infrastructure, making it more expensive for Japan to slash emissions further.