Japan should increase climate ambition: EU's Dimas

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Japan will have to go beyond its plan of cutting greenhouse gases to 8 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 to help keep global warming below dangerous levels, European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said on Wednesday.

The United Nations' climate panel says developed countries should reduce their emissions to 25 to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 to keep temperature increases to within 2 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial temperatures.

"The EU believes that we must be fundamentally guided by science," Dimas said in a statement. "We encourage Japan to take further steps both domestically and internationally."

But he noted Japan's plan only represents cuts within the country and could still be bolstered by offsetting carbon emissions abroad.

"Japan should consider further ways and means to make up the difference so that it can get us in the range recommended by science," said Dimas.

(Reporting by Pete Harrison)