In a joint meeting on July 23, the Party's Environment Division (Director: Nobuaki Sato, member of the House of Councillors), the Research Commission on Environment and Global Warming Countermeasures (Chairperson: Koichi Yamamoto, member of the House of Representatives), and the Project Team on Nuclear Power Regulation (Chairperson: Masayoshi Yoshino, member of the House of Representatives) were briefed an by Ministry of Environment on Japan's reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions. The target is to reduce emissions in FY2030 by 26% from FY2013 levels (25.4% reduction from FY2005 levels). This target is consistent with Japan's energy mix and is considered feasible in light of technical constraints and costs.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe first explained the greenhouse gas reduction target at the G7 summit held in Germany, and then opened it to one month of "public comment." The government received 1,982 comments during this period, mostly on the 26% target itself and on appropriate measures tobe taken. The Global Warming Prevention Headquarters of the Japanese government formally adopted the target on July 17 and submitted it to the United Nations.

The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) will begin in November of this year, and among the key topics on its agenda will be the drafting of rules for adherence to reduction targets. Countries have been asked to submit reduction targets for 2020 and beyond in advance of the conference, and most have already done so, including the major sources of emissions, China and the United States, as well as the Europe Union (EU), Russia, and Canada.