FACTBOX-Five facts about Japan environment minister Ozawa

Sept 16 (Reuters) - Sakihito Ozawa, a former banker, has been appointed Japan's environment minister under new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who has vowed to adopt tougher climate policies despite opposition from industry. [ID:nT104080]

The new government is targeting a 25 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2020, a much bigger reduction than that sought by the previous government.

Here are key facts about Ozawa, 55:

- After graduating from the prestigious University of Tokyo, Ozawa studied economics and policy in a research unit run by Eisuke Sakakibara, a former senior Finance Ministry official nicknamed "Mr. Yen" for his intervention in currency markets.

- Ozawa later joined the foreign exchange team at Tokyo Bank (now part of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group) and worked in a policy advisory team for lawmakers before being elected a lawmaker himself in 1993.

- He has chaired the lower house of parliament's environment committee and served as member of the Democratic Party's panel on climate change, although the party's climate policies have mostly been spearheaded by Katsuya Okada, the new foreign minister.

- Ozawa is expected to work closely with Okada in the new government as Japan tries to play a bigger negotiating role in U.N.-backed climate talks in Copenhagen in December. The talks will try to work out a new agreement on reducing emissions to succeed the current Kyoto Protocol, the first phase of which ends in 2012.

- An expert on economic policy, Ozawa is also expected to work closely with new energy, trade and industry minister Masayuki Naoshima as the government tries to convince businesses that shifting to cleaner energy will lead to longer-term economic growth. [ID:nT320439] (Reporting by Chisa Fujioka)