Japan's record CO2 risking Kyoto failure

Japan's greenhouse gas emissions rose to a record high in the year to March, putting the world's fifth-largest carbon dioxide producer at risk of an embarrassing failure to achieve its Kyoto target over the next four years.

The increase of 2.3 percent last year, largely due to the closure of Japan's biggest nuclear power plant after an earthquake, will ratchet up the pressure for it to give up its efforts to control emissions through voluntary measures and adopt tougher limits on industry like the European Union and Australia.

With developing countries already questioning Tokyo's political will to rein in emissions and top CO2 polluters free from Kyoto's 2008-12 targets, Japan's actions will be seen as a milestone as governments struggle to agree on a successor to the protocol next year.