Japan could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 5 to 15 percent in 2020 from the 1990 level depending on the share of power generated by nuclear plants and efforts to conserve energy, an Environment Ministry panel said Friday.
In outlining six scenarios for the country to fight global warming, the panel indicated it would be difficult for Japan to fulfill its international pledge to reduce emissions by 25 percent in 2020. But climate change experts say the goal could still be attained if 10 percentage points of the target were covered by emission quota purchases from foreign countries.
In order to achieve a maximum reduction of 15 percent, the most aggressive energy conservation measures would be needed while nuclear energy would need to comprise a 15 percent share of power generation for 2030. This nuclear share meets a government plan to effectively decommission nuclear reactors after 40 years of operations.
