Japan to pledge major emissions cut: Reports

TOKYO: Japan is set to announce a self-imposed target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 60-80 percent by 2050 ahead of a Group of Eight summit expected to focus on climate change, reports said on Friday.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will reveal the plan on Monday in a speech which will also detail plans for a domestic carbon market, the Asahi Shimbun and public broadcaster NHK reported, without citing sources.

Fukuda has vowed to push for action on global warming at the July 7-9 summit of the Group of Eight rich nations in the northern Japanese resort of Toyako.

Home to the landmark Kyoto Protocol, Japan hopes the summit will produce a breakthrough in negotiations on a new treaty on curbing global warming.

But Japan is far behind in meeting its Kyoto obligations as its economy steadily recovers from recession in the 1990s.