The Environment Ministry proposed Thursday establishing a mechanism to encourage companies to publicize their greenhouse gas emissions and a system of neutral third parties to evaluate and check reported emissions.
The ministry floated the idea to a council of experts responsible for determining what type of regime will oversee reductions to greenhouse gas emissions in line with Japan's commitments under the Kyoto Protocol climate pact.
To encourage action on the part of industry, companies over a yet to be determined scale would be required to calculate their greenhouse gas emissions and make the information public. The data could then be reviewed by third-party organizations certified by the government to ensure that firms are on target for the pledged emission cuts and to aid in climate policy decision-making, said the proposal.