InsideJapan News Network

New proposals have been announced by the Japanese government aiming to improve energy efficiency within the country by 30 per cent by 2020.

However, precisely when this 30 per cent improvement should be timed from is open to widespread debate, Kyodo News reports.

Currently the base year has been taken as 1990 according to the Kyoto Protocol, but Tokyo is reportedly disputing this timeframe which would expire in 2012.

The Kyoto Protocol was established in 1997 and set strict targets for participating states to reduce energy output across eight different sectors.

Identified sectors under the banner of the scheme were: energy-intensive industries, commercial and domestic, agriculture, land management, power generation, waste, transport and other industries.

China, the US and the European Union have already submitted similar proposals.