Japan may tap green business to create jobs

Japan aims to expand the "green business" market and create up to 1 million new jobs, the environment ministry said yesterday, to simultaneously fight climate change and boost the economy amid a global downturn.

Some world leaders have been calling for job creation through tax breaks and extra public spending to promote energy efficiency, mitigate carbon emissions and develop renewable power sources.

"The worldwide trend is to kill two birds with one stone by investing in action against global warming and linking that to taking care of both the environment and the economy," said Ichiro Sumikura, an environment ministry official.