The European Union and Japan decided to work together for an international deal aimed at curbing global warming and called upon the United States, China, and Russia to "participate in a responsible manner" to fight climate change.
"We shall cooperate with the EU towards building an agreement on an ambitious, effective and comprehensive post-Kyoto framework,' Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso told reporters after meeting with EU leaders in Prague on Monday.
"Japan and the EU are aiming at building a low-carbon society," he added.
Ahead of a UN conference in Copenhagen at the year-end, the EU has pledged to cut its emissions by 20 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020.
Japan has not set its mid-term target yet, but it has pledged to reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 percent by 2050.
The two entities said in a joint statement that they recognized the importance of a UN agency's report recommending a 25-40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for industrialized countries by 2020.
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April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.