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Empresas y finanzas

Japan says climate bill may come later in year


    TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's cabinet will try to push its climate change bill through the country's upper house later in the year if it runs out of time in the current parliamentary session, a senior government official said.

    Japan is the world's fifth-biggest greenhouse gas emitter and a pledge to cut emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020 has become a cornerstone of the government's long-term economic growth strategy.

    Japan's new Prime Minister Naoto Kan took office last week, eating into upper house debating time, with the current session of parliament expected to end later this week ahead of upper chamber elections next month.

    The powerful lower house last month passed the energy bill which includes the 2020 goal and a shortlist of measures to achieve this such as the launch of a nationwide compulsory emissions trading scheme, but it needs upper house approval to become legally binding.

    "It is very regrettable but time for debate (on the climate bill) in the current parliamentary session is running out and the chance of it being passed in time is becoming very small," Hikaru Kobayashi, administrative vice minister of the environment, said at a seminar in Tokyo on Tuesday.

    "We will make further efforts to help enact this climate bill," he continued.