During a speech in Tokyo, former US Vice President Al Gore suggested that Japan's top business lobby could have a significant impact on global warming policy by influencing their counterparts in the United States. Gore emphasized the importance of the Japanese business community's respected reputation and urged them to send a strong message to US businesses. He noted that a shift in US business opinions could lead to a change in US policy, referencing the country's withdrawal from the Kyoto protocol due to concerns about its impact on the economy. Gore's speech was part of a campaign to promote his documentary film 'An Inconvenient Truth' in Japan. As the host of the 1997 talks that created the protocol, the Japanese government has called on major polluters like the United States, China, and India to increase efforts to address climate change. Most recently, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated this message during a visit to Europe last week. Japan's own greenhouse gas emissions reached 1.36 billion tonnes in the year ending March 2006, a 0.6 percent increase from the previous year and 14.1 percent higher than its goal of reducing emissions to 6 percent below 1990 levels. Despite this, Al Gore emphasized that Japanese corporations have a significant role to play in leading the way towards combating climate change. He believes that Japan's business leadership can set an example for the global business community and be crucial in successfully addressing the crisis. Gore stated that over 330 US cities have shown their support for the Kyoto protocol, indicating strong grassroots backing for its goals. He did not respond to media inquiries on Monday and no business executives at the event inquired about speculation regarding his potential presidential candidacy following his environmental initiatives.