Now that impossible-to-attain deadlines are approaching and people are talking about putting a further burden on cash-strapped state coffers to pay for so-called ” emissions reduction credits,” even Japan is starting to have second thoughts about how to implement the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The government keeps coming up with various plans, but they are rightfully shying away from imposing a “carbon tax” on an economy for which flat-lining is considered to be a positive development.

Though Japan is obliged to curb its greenhouse gas emissions by 6% from the 1990 level by 2012 under Kyoto, emissions in fiscal 2002 were 7.6% higher than in 1990. Japan’s Environment Ministry originally said that a carbon tax is required in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the government’s final plan merely called for discussion of a tax “in a serious and comprehensive manner.”

However, Environment Minister Yuriko Koike (who, apparently, is qualified for her job based on a BA in Sociology from Cairo University and a stint as an economic newsreader babe on a Tokyo TV station) says she still believes that taxing people into submission is an effective way to fight global warming. “We want to continue our discussions and aim to introduce the levy in fiscal 2006,” she said.