A senior official from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry stated that they believe 2005 would be a suitable base year for calculating reductions in greenhouse gas emissions under a future climate agreement. Japan has rejected the idea of using 1990 as the base year, arguing that it would be unfair to Japanese industries that had already invested in energy efficiency measures two decades ago. However, Japan has not officially proposed a specific alternative base year. The Ministry's vice minister, Takao Kitabata, indicated that 2005 would be a fair choice for the base year according to a ministry spokesperson. This potential change is likely to face opposition from the European Union, which has committed to reducing emissions by 20 percent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. Approximately 190 countries came to an agreement during UN-led discussions in Bali the previous year to begin two-year negotiations on a new agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol currently only requires wealthy nations to reduce their emissions by an average of five percent between 2008 and 2012 compared to 1990 levels. The new agreement would encompass all nations and the "Bali roadmap" acknowledges the necessity for significant reductions in global emissions. However, there are significant differences of opinion regarding the specific targets that should be set and the starting point for those targets.