Not two months after the conclusion of the climate change negotiations in Marrakech, Morocco, Japan is sending alarming signals that it will bow to industry pressure and break its pledge to adhere to the Kyoto Protocol and cut greenhouse gas emissions. An advisory council to the government is recommending that emissions cuts be voluntary for businesses and that the government not impose any guidelines on how to achieve the reductions. Critics say such a framework would make it very difficult for the country to meet its target of cutting emissions by 6 percent below 1990 levels. Japan has been in the climate change spotlight ever since the Bush administration pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol.
