Taiwan by 2030 aims to reduce emissions by 23 to 25 percent from 2005 levels and achieve net zero emissions by 2050, the National Development Council said yesterday.
To reach the 2030 goal, the agency revealed a slew of transition plans based on 12 key strategies, including power/photovoltaics, hydrogen energy, innovative energy, carbon capture, utilization and storage, and decarbonizing the transportation sector.
The government would spend nearly NT$900 billion (US$29.3 billion) by 2030 to realize the plans, the agency said.
Photo: CNA
National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said that transitioning to net zero is an unshirkable responsibility for Taiwan, and doing so could generate enormous business opportunities.
By 2030, the push toward net zero would spur about NT$4 trillion in private investment, generate production value of NT$5.9 trillion and create 551,000 jobs, Kung said.
To encourage small and medium-sized enterprises to cut emissions, the government is studying incentive measures, including subsidies and tax breaks, he added.
Environmental Protection Administration Minister Chang Tzi-chin (張子敬) said that discussions on issues related to carbon pricing, such as emissions trading systems and carbon taxes, were under way.
Chang has called for a carbon tax that reflects the true cost of greenhouse gas emissions and does not place undue burden on consumers.
Unsatisfied with the goal, several environmental groups, including the Green Citizens’ Action Alliance and Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan, yesterday in a joint statement said the government needs to take more ambitious actions to decrease emissions, adding that the 23 to 25 percent emissions reduction target is not sufficient.
The government is reviewing its 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution target of reducing emissions by 20 percent from 2005 levels, the base year for long-term efforts. It is also preparing updated contribution targets as required by the Paris Agreement.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in a new report said that while many countries are reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, the 193 parties under the Paris Agreement would still increase emissions by 10.6 percent by 2030, compared with 2010 levels.
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