6 cities designated as models for efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The government on Tuesday designated six cities across the country as models for efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, officials said.

The six municipalities -- Obihiro and Shimokawa in Hokkaido, Yokohama, Toyama, Kitakyushu and the Kumamoto Prefecture city of Minamata -- are aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 66 percent from their respective base years.

The "Fukuda vision," which the government announced prior to the G8 summit in Hokkaido earlier this month, calls for 60 to 80 percent reductions from the current level by 2050.

The central government wants to help these model cities achieve their goals, and urge other local governments to step up their efforts to prevent global warming, according to the officials.

The six model cities' plans include the use of renewable energy sources and biofuel and greater utilization of mass transportation systems.

The Yokohama Municipal Government, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 60 percent from the 2004 level by 2050, plans to offer to reduce the fixed property tax on eco-friendly houses that meet certain standards.

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