In a speech in Tokyo on Monday, former US Vice President Al Gore suggested that Japan's top business lobby could influence policy change on global warming by sending a strong message to its counterparts in the United States. Gore spoke to executives at the Keidanren (Japanese Business Federation) as part of a campaign to promote his documentary film 'An Inconvenient Truth,' which is premiering in Japan this week. Gore emphasized the potential impact of the Japanese business community's respected reputation on shaping opinions within the US business community, and urged Keidanren members to convey a powerful message to big businesses in the United States. He noted that a change in US business opinions could lead to a change in US policy on global warming, referencing the country's withdrawal from the Kyoto protocol in 2008. The US had argued that the agreement would be detrimental to its economy. The Japanese government, as the host of the 1997 talks that created the protocol, has been encouraging major polluters like the United States, China, and India to do more to address climate change. During a recent visit to Europe by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan reiterated this plea. Despite Japan's own greenhouse gas emissions increasing slightly in the year up to March 2006, and falling short of its emission reduction target, former Vice President Al Gore believes that Japanese corporations have a crucial role to play in leading the global business community towards finding solutions to the climate crisis. Gore emphasized that Japan's commitment to being part of the solution could be instrumental in successfully addressing this issue. More than 330 cities in the US have expressed their support for the Kyoto protocol, indicating grassroots backing for its goals, according to Gore. The former presidential candidate did not respond to media inquiries on Monday. None of the business leaders present at the event inquired about speculations regarding a potential presidential run following his environmental campaign.