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Japan Aims to Lead Global Rule-Setting for Carbon Footprints The Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry is planning to propose global guidelines for the labeling of carbon footprints for foods and daily goods, or the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the product lifecycle. Japan is hoping that the proposal will allow the country to be better positioned amid moves to set global standards under the international carbon footprint labeling initiative. According to the sources, the trade ministry will launch a panel comprising officials of the environment, agriculture and other relevant ministries and industry groups on Thursday to discuss preparatory steps for global carbon footprint standards, which are set to take effect in three years. Carbon footprint labeling, which will set out the amount of carbon emissions involving each product, is seen as a potentially powerful tool for raising public awareness of global warming and promote corporate and individual energy-saving efforts. Britain and some other countries leading footprint labeling want the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO, to set such global standards. But Japan fears that the ISO rules may include carbon emissions associated with primary materials in calculations of the carbon footprints of products, putting Japanese-made products at disadvantage in global competition because Japan is heavily dependent on imports for primary materials. The trade ministry is therefore trying to gain support from other countries to ensure that global carbon footprint rules do not create fresh trade barriers. The ministry has already decided to establish guidelines on CO2 emission labeling in Japan by March next year and to carry out trials by the end of March 2010. |
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