Taiwan is key to world’s Net-Zero Future

Climate change is impacting the world at an unprecedented rate. The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continues to rise, and global average temperatures have reached record highs. Nevertheless, it is not too late if we act now. Proactive actions will help to achieve a liveable and sustainable future. With this in mind, Taiwan stands ready to work together with the global community and contribute its strengths in green and related technologies, hoping to achieve the common goal of net-zero emissions.

So what actions is Taiwan taking? In February, Taiwan announced the enactment of the Climate Change Response Act, codifying the 2050 net-zero emissions goal into law. By elevating the net-zero target from a policy declaration to a legal requirement, Taiwan has demonstrated its determination to cut emissions. The government is setting up a carbon pricing mechanism and introducing financial incentives to guide businesses towards sustainable, low-carbon development. In 2022, Taiwan published its Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050 and announced 12 key strategies for a net-zero transition. Based on the twin governance foundations of technology research and development and climate legislation, Taiwan is stepping up energy, industrial, lifestyle, and social transitions. The first phase (2023–2026) of the net-zero science and technology programme will focus on five main development areas: sustainable and future-oriented energy sources, low-carbon and carbon reduction, negative carbon emissions, the circular economy, and the humanities and social sciences. The programme aims to promote net-zero technology research, development, and applications.

How is Taiwan’s performance in energy conservation in comparison with peer countries? Taiwan has achieved outstanding results in the energy transition. For the past 10 years, energy intensity has improved by an annual average of 2.9 percent. According to a 2022 report published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Taiwan’s energy efficiency has risen to eighth in the world, second only to Japan in Asia. Over the last five years, Taiwan’s installed capacity of renewable energy has grown by an average of 21.9 percent each year. The global average is 9.1 percent. Taiwan has outperformed its Asian neighbours, including the Republic of Korea, China, and Japan. In 2023, the combined capacity of wind and solar power installations in Taiwan will reach around 13.9 gigawatts, a sevenfold increase from 2016. A total of 264 offshore wind turbines have been installed nationwide. Renewable energy is expected to generate 10 per cent of all of Taiwan’s electricity this year. To ensure a stable power supply and reduce air pollution and carbon emissions, the government will continue to maximise the development of green power and future-oriented energy and further improve energy efficiency. Through these efforts, together with complementary measures such as developing diversified energy storage and strengthening power grid resilience, Taiwan is steadily achieving an energy transition.

As more countries commit to net-zero emissions, Taiwan has made structural reforms to consolidate its environmental authorities and strengthen its administrative capacity. This August, the Environmental Protection Administration was restructured and upgraded to the Ministry of Environment (MOE). Its newly established Climate Change Administration coordinates efforts to respond to climate change and reduce greenhouse gases. The results of scientific research on climate change and the implementation of adaptation actions have been published in the Adaptation Communication report. An interdisciplinary team has been set up to compile the Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan. The initiative promotes nature-based solutions and empowers vulnerable groups. These efforts aim to boost Taiwan’s overall capacity to respond to climate change, protect public safety, and promote sustainable national development.

Reduce, recycle, and reuse 

Over 70 per cent of Taiwan’s resources are imported. But in 2022, the municipal waste recycling rate reached 59.5 per cent, and the industrial waste reuse rate rose to 86.5 per cent. Through the newly established Resource Circulation Administration under the Ministry of Environment, the previous focus on controlling pollution has shifted to developing overall resource circulation, improving the efficiency of environmental governance, developing a circular economy, and introducing the concept of zero-waste. Building on existing foundations, Taiwan has formulated three circulation strategies: using green designs for waste reduction at the source, recycling and reusing resources, and balancing and managing waste treatment capacity. A well-functioning circular network will be created in coordination with upstream, midstream, and downstream industries. Taiwan is also developing innovative technologies and systems to support resource circulation and accelerate progress towards the vision of zero-waste and net-zero emissions.

Taiwan is an export-oriented economy, with business operations heavily subject to international conditions and regulations. In light of the global trends towards carbon border adjustment mechanisms and green supply chain requirements, Taiwan has established an interministerial coordination mechanism to help companies understand and reduce the carbon content of their products and promote a carbon pricing system. Taiwan’s Green Finance Action Plan supports the low-carbon transition of industry by steering capital investment to green or sustainable businesses, improving the environmental, social, and corporate governance of Taiwanese companies, and strengthening their sustainable development. The Taiwan Carbon Solution Exchange (TCX), established in August, creates incentives for enterprises to reduce carbon emissions through market trading and exchanges. The TCX also promotes low-carbon technology research and development, strengthens carbon market talent cultivation, and drives the virtuous cycle of the green economy.

As a force for good in the world, Taiwan continues to seek equal opportunities to work with the international community. Taiwan has the expertise and strengths in green technology development which can be applied to programs in fields such as disaster relief, disaster prevention, the environment, medicine, public health, and green energy. Holding the office of Environment Ministry, I am calling for an equal access for Taiwan to the work of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We hope that Taiwan will be able to join international cooperation mechanisms to address climate change, participate in negotiations related to the Paris Agreement, and take collective action with the international community to jointly overcome the climate crisis. As the world confronts the mounting threat of climate change and adjusts to restructuring of supply chains, the global society should find that Taiwan is an important part of the solution and a reliable, secure, and trustworthy partner.

(The writer is the Minister of Environment, Republic of China (Taiwan))