Yukio Hatoyama, Japan’s prime minister-elect, vowed on Monday to go ahead with plans for an aggressive cut in greenhouse gas emissions in spite of opposition from business groups.

Mr Hatoyama’s Democratic party (DPJ) ousted Japan’s long-ruling Liberal Democratic party in last month’s general election. The DPJ promised in its manifesto that if it came to power it would set a target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 25 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020.