The Japanese government will urge the United States to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Treaty which is an attempt to stop global warming. U.S. President George W. Bush has instructed his administration to review the U.S. stance on the Kyoto Protocol. The treaty, negotiated and signed in Kyoto, western Japan, would require the world's industrial countries to impose binding limits on emissions of heat-trapping gases.
Scientists believe the gasses are causing significant changes in the Earth's climate.
The U.S. Senate has voted 95-0 against ratifying the pact, drawing criticism from Japan and European signatories. Japan's Environment Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi says his government is very troubled and will take every opportunity to press the United States to understand the importance of the Kyoto Protocol.