The European Parliament affirmed its 2020 emissions reduction goal this week, setting the stage for a December battle to hammer out a deal  opposed by several bloc members because of the global economic crisis, the Associated Press reported.

Meanwhile, Japan sought a different approach to reducing emissions with the approval of a voluntary carbon market that lets companies set their own targets without penalties for missing their goals.

The European Parliament's plan involves a mandatory emissions cut to 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. Italy and several coal-dependent eastern European members have raised concerns about the costs and have reportedly threatened to withdraw support unless the rules can be loosened after a review.

The goal was approved Wednesday as part of a larger resolution focused on the economic crisis and related regulations, according to the AP. But all EU bloc members must agree on a final climate change roadmap.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the EU Wednesday to resolve the energy and climate package by the end of 2008. A unified front would send a positive signal to other regions before negotiations on a post-Kyoto treaty wrap up in late 2009. The leader of the European Commission also called on EU leaders to avoid sacrificing the climate change fight because of the economic downturn.

Most western European nations support the aggressive goal. The United Kingdom even decided to set a long-term target of reducing emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

Japan had agreed to cut emissions 6 percent from 1990 levels by late 2012 as part of its Kyoto commitment. Emissions, however, have risen by about 6 percent annually, Bloomberg reported. The government opposes mandatory emissions caps and is instead moving forward with a voluntary trial carbon market for large emitters.