Japan's industry minister Hiroshi Kajiyama says the country will continue to use coal-fired power plants, but will work to cut emissions with new technologies.
Kajiyama told reporters on Tuesday that Japan wants to keep thermal power plants using coal and other fossil fuel as an option. He said it's very important to study every alternative to achieve the best energy mix for the future.
He added Japan will reduce its dependence on nuclear energy as much as possible, and increase renewable energy sources to cut carbon dioxide emissions. He explained this means that Japan will develop technology to reduce emissions in spite of difficult conditions.
The UN Environment Programme urges Japan to halt the construction of new coal-fired power plants in its recent report. The UN agency released the report ahead of the start of the UN climate change conference in Spain on Monday.
