Japan Welcomes Bush Initiative for Cutting Greenhouse Gases

By Sachiko Sakamaki

June 1 (Bloomberg) -- Japan welcomed U.S. President George W. Bush's proposal to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said.

Bush yesterday proposed setting a long-term goal to reduce greenhouse gases, reversing his previous stance opposing setting such targets.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Bush share similar ideas about how to tackle global warming issue, Shiozaki said at a regular press conference in Tokyo.

Global warming will be a major topic at next week's meeting of leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations in Germany. Bush said the talks will establish a new framework for when the Kyoto Protocol on emissions expires in 2012.

Abe on May 24 announced a proposal for the world to cut greenhouse gas emissions in by 2050 as a new framework to replace the Kyoto Protocol.

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