Following his landslide election victory last week Japan’s new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, has said that he will aim for a 25% cut in Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, based on 1990 levels, which compares positively to his predecessor's commitment of 8%.

Yukio Hatoyama has put the pressure on other nations however by saying that this commitment is subject to other nations making targets at the Copenhagen talks in December.

Japan’s newly proposed targets just fall in the 25-40% reduction target recommended by the UN Climate Change Chief, Yvo de Boer.

It is great to see leadership such as this in time for it to make real impact at the December talks. As the world's second largest economy and fifth largest polluter this kind of proposal - if it is implemented and successful - would make a real impact. Japan expects to achieve these targets through a mix of emissions trading, low-energy cars, subsidizing the installation of solar panels and renovating housing.

With Japan’s emissions on the rise, 2009 seeing a level 16% above the 1990 levels, there was real pressure on Japan’s new leader to act. Lets hope he can now withstand the pressure and lobbying from those in Japan who oppose these targets.