The European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) yesterday urged the government to create a ministerial task force to coordinate and facilitate the achievement of net zero gas emissions by 2050.
The chamber also called for relaxed immigration and labor rules to address a shortage of white-collar and blue-collar workers.
Taiwan has recognized the threat of climate change and joined the international community in the pursuit of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, ECCT chairman Giuseppe Izzo said upon releasing the chamber’s annual position paper.
Photo: CNA
“Authorities are aware of Taiwan’s overreliance on imports of fossil fuels and the need to transition to cleaner energy sources and explore other strategies to enhance Taiwan’s energy security,” Izzo said.
Toward the end, the ECCT recommended the government set up a ministerial task force or appoint a single entity to coordinate different stakeholders, and the task force should have the authority and resources to help applicants resolve issues though the permitting process.
Despite more than 300 turbines already in operation this year, there is a long way to go to reach the government’s wind energy target of 13.1 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and 40GW to 55GW by 2050, the ECCT said.
The key to overcoming this challenge is to ensure a financially and commercially robust investment environment because no third-round projects have achieved financial closure, putting 2027 to 2028 grid connections at risk, it said.
The chamber recommended timely financial support or a government-backed renewable energy procurement platform alongside the national credit guarantee mechanism to speed up the financing process.
A ministerial task force would help coordinate among stakeholders, integrate regulations and permits across government agencies, streamline the permit process, accelerate reviews, and avoid delaying projects, it said.
A more flexible approach on technology localization would create a more sustainable market with viable projects and internationally competitive suppliers, it said.
Taiwan’s labor rules are outdated and unfit to meet the needs of a modern workforce, it said.
Authorities should relax rules requiring the strict recording of working hours, especially for senior employees and remote workers, it added.
At the same time, employees should be granted the right to apply to work remotely or part time while they are raising young children, the ECCT said.
The government should give more subsidies or tax incentives to childcare centers and enterprises to provide childcare facilities in their workplaces to address Taiwan’s lack of childcare options, it said.
Taiwan faces a declining population, but the requirements and procedures for applying for dual citizenship are overly stringent, it said.
Authorities should ease the qualification requirements for special foreign professionals, streamline the visa and work permit application process, and grant three-year work permits to all qualified foreign professionals, it said.
Taiwan is also facing a shortage of blue-collar workers. Rules should be relaxed to allow companies in the service industry to hire foreign workers to meet their needs, it said.
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