Taiwan Acts to Mitigate Climate Change
Stephen Shu-hung Shen
Minister, Environmental Protection Administration (EPA)
Republic of China (Taiwan)
Mitigating climate change has a direct bearing on humankind’s survival
and therefore poses a pressing challenge that the global community must
face together. Consequently, despite Taiwan’s special status in
international politics and its exclusion from the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the government
has still endeavored to join the global movement to reduce carbon
emissions. Efforts revolve around implementing various policies and
encouraging the people to take concrete actions.
In response to the Copenhagen Accord, for instance, Taiwan voluntarily
pledged to the UNFCCC secretariat and the international community in
2010, that it would cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 30
percent below business-as-usual (BAU) levels by 2020. It also pledged to
implement Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and
assume its share of responsibility. This is not only in line with the
fundamental principles of the UNFCCC, but is also a clear declaration of
Taiwan’s position and determination to reduce GHG emissions.
Two major approaches can be considered for mitigating climate change:
carbon reduction and climate adaptation. The Committee for the
1
Promotion of Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction, established by
Taiwan’s Executive Yuan in the end of 2009, has drawn up a master plan
to fulfill its mandate. The plan calls for concrete actions in such areas as
energy, industry, transportation, architecture and lifestyle. In 2012, the
Executive Yuan also approved national climate change adaptation
guidelines
covering
eight
major
domains—
disasters,
essential
infrastructure, water resources, land use, coastal areas, energy supply and
the energy sector, agriculture and biodiversity, and health. The guidelines
call for the impact and challenges brought by climate change to be
studied, for adaptation strategies to be proposed by the relevant
government agencies, and for an implementation and evaluation
mechanism to be established.
In addition, Taiwan’s government is continuing to promote the passage of
a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Bill. This bill, along with the Energy Tax
Bill that is currently being studied, the Energy Management Act that has
already been implemented, and the Renewable Energy Development
Statute, constitutes the legal framework for GHG reduction in Taiwan.
Meanwhile, to keep abreast of international development trends, the EPA
has also laid the groundwork for a Measurable, Reportable, Verifiable
(MRV) system for GHG mitigation actions and commitments. It was
announced in May 2012 that, in accordance with the Air Pollution
Prevention Act, six GHGs, including carbon dioxide, were being
classified as air pollutants, and that institutionalizing the reporting of
GHG emissions is a policy priority.
2
In his 2012 inaugural address, President Ma Ying-jeou explicitly stated
that “developing an environment characterized by low carbon emissions
and high reliance on green energy” is one of the five pillars of Taiwan’s
national development. It is hoped that green industry will become a new
economic bright spot that brings employment and growth, so that Taiwan
can gradually become a “low-carbon, green-energy island.” Confronted
with the daunting challenges that climate change presents, Taiwan’s
public and private sectors are joining forces to promote a “low carbon and
sustainable homeland.” This is having the added benefit of boosting both
horizontal and vertical coordination in the central and local government.
In addition, it will promote self-evaluation at the local level in terms of
achieving various low-carbon and sustainability targets, and will
encourage the public, communities, towns and cities to voluntarily
participate in building a low-carbon and sustainable homeland.
Saving energy and reducing carbon are not just abstract concepts in
Taiwan. Indeed, they have become very much a part of everyday life.
Confronted as we all are with the severe challenges that climate change
poses, I sincerely urge the international community to take Taiwan’s bid
to meaningfully participate in the UNFCCC seriously, and to include
Taiwan in its mutual assistance system. We are extremely willing to share
the fruits of our hard work and experience in environmental protection
with the international community, and particularly with those countries
that need our help the most.
3