Japan's environment minister says he is disappointed with President Bush's new plan to combat global warming.

Friday, just two days before President Bush arrives in Tokyo, Environment Minister Hiroshi Oki said he would like to continue exchanging opinions on global warming with the United States at the upcoming summit.

The U.S. proposal, announced Thursday, calls for incentives to get companies to voluntarily reduce environmentally harmful emissions. The 1997 Kyoto Treaty on global warming mandates cuts to be undertaken by signatories.

President Bush has rejected the treaty, saying it will harm U.S. economic grown, forcing the United States to cut fossil fuel emissions while large developing countries such as China and India would be exempt. Washington says the new U.S. plan is a more thoughtful approach to the issue.

Mr. Oki said the Bush plan will fall short of the Kyoto targets and that is disappointing. He added that Japan plans to ratify the climate pact even without U.S. participation.

Many scientists believe that gases from burning fossil fuels are accumulating in the earth's atmosphere and causing rising temperatures, which could wreak havoc on the environment.

Some information for this report provided by Reuters.

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