Wed, Apr 06, 2022 page3

• Carbon emissions target questioned

  TOO SLOW: Government agencies’ conservative targets for reducing carbon emissions could hold back the nation’s goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, a critic said

  • Staff writer, with CNA
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  While the government’s proposed strategies to reduce carbon emissions generally align with those of the UN, government agencies have set relatively conservative targets to achieve the nation’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, an Academia Sinica researcher said yesterday.

  The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on Monday released the third part of its Sixth Assessment Report.

  Local experts were yesterday invited to comment on the report at a news conference hosted by the Science Media Center Taiwan.

  

  Wind turbines are pictured off the coast of Taiwan in an undated photograph.

  Photo courtesy of Taiwan Power Co

  Alan Lin (林子倫), deputy executive director of the Executive Yuan’s Office of Energy and Carbon Reduction, told the news conference that a proposed amendment to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act (溫室氣體減量及管理法) is under review at the Executive Yuan and could be deliberated this legislative session.

  “The amendment, while offering a regulatory mechanism, is only a part of a complete legal framework. Government agencies regulating transportation, energy and architecture also need to have laws in place to collectively reduce carbon emission,” Lin said.

  The National Development Council (NDC) at the end of last month proposed a path to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, which would involve the transformation of the energy and technology sectors, as well as people’s lives, Lin said.

  “The council’s proposed strategies to manage the demand side are generally aligned with those in the IPCC presentation, but we might at the end of this year adjust the council’s goal for 2030, which is to cut carbon emissions by 20 percent,” Lin said, adding that many experts have said the goal needs to be changed.

  Shaw Daigee (蕭代基), an adjunct research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Institute of Economics, affirmed the NDC’s strategies to reduce carbon emissions, saying that it is a rather “bold and aggressive” policy.

  However, the targets set by government agencies are far more conservative, he said.

  “This issue has to be addressed this year, or there is no way Taiwan could cut carbon emissions by half by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050,” Shaw said, adding that the targets set by some agencies might even hold back the government’s efforts.

  Taiwan can contribute more in terms of carbon sinks in forests, which the NDC failed to highlight in its report, he said, adding that the report did not mention levying a carbon tax.

  A carbon sink refers to any reservoir, natural or otherwise, that accumulates and stores some carbon-containing chemical compound for an indefinite period and thereby lowers the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

  The IPCC said that reducing carbon emissions would have only a minimal effect on the economy, contrary to what conventional wisdom says.

  “Reducing carbon emissions could actually have a positive effect on the economy, as it would lead to revenue from carbon tax and a fairer income distribution system,” Shaw said.

  Chao Chia-wei (趙家緯), adjunct assistant professor at National Taiwan University’s International Degree Program in Climate Change and Sustainable Development, said that Taiwan should derive 60 to 70 percent of its power supply from renewable energy sources, with many international studies indicating that 60 to 70 percent of global power supply would come from wind and solar energy.

  There should be supporting government measures in the development of power storage facilities and power grids, he said.

  The government should proactively promote the use of zero-carbon construction materials, as it would raise retail prices by less than 1 percent, he said.

  Cheng Tsu-jui (鄭祖睿), assistant professor at National Cheng Kung University’s Department of Transport and Communication Management, said that the government should stipulate zero-carbon strategies for cargo logistics services, in addition to elevating the penetration rate of electric vehicles and motorcycles.
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