Taiwan Proposes International Cooperation Schemes to Combat Climate Change

In response to global warming, Taiwan has successfully introduced progressive environmental protection policies and technologies over many years via international cooperation. The result is a significant improvement of the island's environmental quality and heightened public awareness of the need to protect the environment. Taiwan faces the same climate change challenges as other countries around the world. Consequently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on September 21 that Taiwan would seek participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) talks to share its environmental protection experience with other nations via substantive and effective participation in the talks.

Taiwan is very keen to work with the international community to combat climate change. As a result, Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has proposed two international cooperation schemes for climate mitigation: the Overseas Carbon Reduction Cooperation Program and the Taiwan Initiative for International Cooperation on Efficient Utilization of Global Fossil Fuels and Biomass Energy.

Overseas Carbon Reduction Cooperation Program

In 2008, the ROC government announced voluntary carbon dioxide reduction targets: a return to 2008 emission levels during the period between 2016 and 2020, and a return to 2000 levels by 2025. Given Taiwan's unique geopolitical situation, the EPA is actively seeking cooperation with UNFCCC Annex I nations to help Taiwan's emitting entities meet their reduction requirements and assist developing nations in cutting their carbon emissions via clean development. The EPA will help Taiwan's emission entities establish corporations in Annex I nations, and through these overseas corporations, invest in clean development projects of developing nations that cut carbon emissions under the UNFCCC guidelines. The carbon credits acquired will then be used to offset emissions in Taiwan. Via cooperation with Annex I and developing nations, Taiwan expects to reach its reduction targets while helping reduce global emission.

Taiwan Initiative for International Cooperation on Efficient Utilization of Global Fossil Fuel and Biomass Energy

To cut worldwide carbon emissions effectively and boost energy efficiency, Taiwan proposes a global initiative to gradually introduce the most efficient means for utilizing fossil and biomass energy around the world within 40 years via international cooperation. The Taiwan initiative mandates that power plants use eco-coal for co-generation of electricity and heat. Co-generation power plants would be located in the most heat- demanding temperate and frigid zones, with the tropical and subtropical zones supplied by transmitted electricity. Fossil fuels and eco-coal would be sent to the temperate and frigid zones for cogeneration to provide the entire world with electricity, including that needed to power electric vehicles. This global cooperation approach would allow the most efficient energy utilization.

In the future, Taiwan's engagement in international cooperation for environmental protection will involve the continued introduction of environmental policies and technologies from advanced countries to improve local environmental quality, sharing Taiwan's experience with other nations to help solve environmental problems, participating in international organizations and environmental guideline-making conferences to follow international global environmental protection trends, and promoting the Overseas Carbon Reduction Cooperation Project and the Taiwan Initiative for International Cooperation on Efficient Utilization of Global Fossil and Biomass Energy to mitigate climate change. Taiwan expects to accelerate local, regional and global environmental protection efforts through bilateral and multilateral cooperation to effectively safeguard environmental quality, human health and sustainable development.