The 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will be held in Madrid, Spain, in early December. With the Trump administration's recent formal letter to the UN announcing its intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, greenhouse gas reduction to mitigate climate change is expected to be a major focus of COP25. The Legislative Yuan's Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee reviewed the Environmental Protection Administration's budget today (December 18th). Legislators Wang Yu-min, Chen Yi-min, and Wu Yu-chin, among others, offered suggestions regarding Taiwan's greenhouse gas reduction policies. Wang Yu-min pointed out that nearly five years after the enactment of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act, the government's reduction strategy has not been proactive enough. "Last year's Control Yuan report also pointed out that the reduction effect was not significant, yet the Environmental Protection Administration has not revised or reviewed its related measures." Therefore, he proposed reducing the "Climate Change Response Plan" portion of the Greenhouse Gas Management Fund by NT$1 million and freezing NT$6 million. In response, Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Director-General Chang Tzu-ching admitted that the Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act does indeed require review after its implementation. "The EPA will take responsibility for supervising the effectiveness of carbon reduction measures by various ministries and agencies, and will begin to review and revise the future direction of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act." The 2015 Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Paris Agreement, reaching a consensus among countries on greenhouse gas emission reduction practices. Each country is responsible for its own implementation, with emissions reduction efforts reviewed every five years, and pressure exerted on countries with insufficient carbon reduction efforts through negotiations. Although Taiwan is neither a UN member nor a party to the Climate Convention or the Paris Agreement, in order to align with international standards and fulfill its responsibilities as a global citizen, Taiwan announced the implementation of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act in 2015 and proposed the National Action Plan for Climate Change in 2016. The first phase sets a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2% by 2020 compared to the base year (2005), adopting a strategy of gradual reduction followed by accelerated reduction. However, the first phase is set to expire next year. Wang Yu-min pointed out that the Executive Yuan’s Energy and Carbon Reduction Office held a progress tracking meeting last year to discuss the implementation of the first phase control targets, which clearly stated that “the situation for achieving the first phase control targets is very precarious, and the reduction effect of the originally planned measures is not obvious.” He said that the Environmental Protection Administration did not propose any new greenhouse gas reduction plan in the following year, which was not conducive to achieving the greenhouse gas reduction targets, and proposed to reduce part of the budget allocated to the frozen greenhouse gas management fund. Wu Yu-chin stated that the current Greenhouse Gas Management Fund is facing a funding shortage, relying entirely on the Air Pollution Control Fund. "Such funding will only last until 2025, therefore the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) needs to find other sources of revenue as soon as possible." She suggested that the EPA should propose a legislative amendment to levy a carbon tax, "especially since Taiwan imports 60 million tons of coal annually, equivalent to 220 million tons of carbon. A carbon tax should be levied, and administrative subsidies should be provided for renewable energy heat utilization to substantially reduce diversification carbon emissions." Meanwhile, Legislator Chen Ching-min also stated that according to the Climate Change Performance Indicators (CCPI) revealed by the German Caretaker Association, Taiwan's overall ranking has declined for three consecutive years, "falling to fifth from the bottom among 60 assessed countries, only surpassing South Korea, Iran, the United States, and Saudi Arabia." She added that data from the Ministry of Economic Affairs also shows that Taiwan's "total carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion" have been increasing year by year, reaching 269.21 million tons in 2017, higher than the 258.54 million tons in 2015, indicating poor performance in reducing carbon emissions from energy use. Ultimately, NT$1 million was cut from the "Climate Change Response Plan" section of the Greenhouse Gas Management Fund, and NT$6 million was frozen. Wang Yu-min demanded that the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) conduct a comprehensive review of the current greenhouse gas reduction action plan and make necessary revisions. Wu Yu-chin also requested that the EPA submit a specific timeline for collecting carbon fees from coal by the end of March next year, in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act. This timeline should include the fee rate, total amount, intended use, specific carbon reduction strategies, and related draft amendments. The frozen funds will be unfrozen upon completion. Chang Tzu-ching stated that the EPA has also submitted a new greenhouse gas reduction strategy to the Executive Yuan's Energy and Carbon Reduction Office for coordination and discussion. "Although there was a coordination meeting chaired by three ministers at the executive branch level, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) will take responsibility for supervising the effectiveness of carbon reduction measures implemented by various ministries," he admitted. He acknowledged that the Climate Control Act, implemented five years ago, does indeed need review. "In the future, we will begin to review and assess the future amendments and implementation direction of the Climate Control Act, so that the EPA can further assist and supervise the climate reduction measures implemented by various ministries." He also promised that the EPA will submit a draft plan to the committee by March next year, in accordance with the resolution. Furthermore, Legislator Chen Yi-min mentioned COP25 next month, stating, "In the past, the government could only hold Taiwan Night outside the main event, which had limited effect. We suggest that the EPA participate not only as a researcher at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) or as an NGO, but also by actively considering more detailed and effective ways to participate, increasing Taiwan's international visibility." Chang Tzu-ching responded that he would try to find a solution. (Source: Environmental Information Center, 2019/11/18)
