Japan Urges Global Goal To Halve Emissions By 2050

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed on Thursday a global target to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed on Thursday a global target to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and said Japan would support developing countries committed to halting global warming with a new form of financial aid.

Global warming will be high on the agenda at the June 6-8 Group of Eight summit in Germany, and Abe has said Japan wants to take the lead in drawing up plans to extend beyond 2012 the Kyoto Protocol on cutting carbon emissions, named after the country's ancient capital where the pact was signed in 1997.

Abe, outlining his proposals in a speech, said any post-Kyoto framework should include all major emitters such as the United States, China and India, take into account the diverse conditions in different countries and be compatible with both economic growth and environmental protection.