Japan is ready to give technical and financial support to help developing nations cut their greenhouse gas emissions in a move that could help Japan revise up its recently announced emissions cut target by 2020, the environment minister said on Wednesday. Governments worldwide are currently in talks to agree a new U.N. climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol. One issue they are looking at is whether and how to enhance market mechanisms under Kyoto to enable rich countries to help others reduce emissions and in exchange receive emissions offsets. Japan, the world's fifth-biggest greenhouse gas emitter, has been under pressure from developing nations to go for deep greenhouse gas reductions by 2020 to show leadership in talks for a climate deal due to be agreed in Copenhagen in December. When Prime Minister Taro Aso unveiled Japan's 2020 target of cutting emissions 15 percent below 2005 levels on June 10, he said it would be achieved solely through domestic efforts to save energy and use renewable energy sources. He added that methods such as funding emission cuts abroad would be considered for additional cuts as the U.N. talks progress.

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