Japan and Russia join forces to fight global warming.

Talks are to begin between Russia and Japan on ways to combat the effects of global warming, possibly including the trading of greenhouse gas emissions quotas to help ensure that Japan can meet its Kyoto Protocol targets.

Japan is ranked as the fifth biggest offender in the greenhouse gas emissions stakes. Many observers believe that despite commitments by Japan, they will struggle to meet their obligations on reducing greenhouse gases.

The Japanese Foreign Minister, and the Russian First Deputy Premier, have agreed at a meeting in Munich that a conference regarding the issue will take place in Tokyo, at the end of this month.

The Russian first Deputy Premier, Mr Ivanov stated that the conference had the aim of reaching an agreement under which Russia would sell surplus emissions quotas to Japan, regarded as essential to help the country lower its emissions to the Kyoto agreed levels.

Under the agreement the Japanese, who are very highly efficient in the energy field, would assist Russia to reduce their domestic greenhouse gas emissions, and under the Kyoto agreement, Japan could then claim those savings, as their own, even though they actually take place in Russia.

But in the next four years Japan is due to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 6% of what its 1990 levels were. The Japanese government energy panel, said last year that Japan should be able to reach the set goals, if it undertook some additional measures, such as entering into voluntary agreements with certain industries.

The four countries that emit more gases than Japan are China, Russia, India and the United States but only Japan is under the high degree of pressure to accelerate its gas emission controls to satisfy the Kyoto deadlines.