Japan's net-zero carbon pledge hailed, but questions remain over coal

Japan is still building coal plants domestically. PHOTO: NYTIMES
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TOKYO - While scant on detail, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's statement of intent to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 has been hailed by green activists, progressive businesses and the international community.

Vowing to build a "virtuous circle of environment and economic growth", Prime Minister Suga had said in his debut policy speech to the Diet on Monday (Oct 26): "Responding to climate change should no longer be seen as a constraint on economic growth."

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