The Ministry of Environment yesterday said it is considering stationing officials in Europe to ensure it receives near real-time updates on the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and can participate in relevant discussions.
The ministry also said it is inviting experts, industry representatives and environmental protection groups to form an EU-bound delegation next year.
The ministry aims for the delegates to learn about carbon pricing in the EU, facilitating future discussions on developing legislation on carbon emission trading in Taiwan, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Environment
Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) on Monday headed a separate delegation to visit EU agencies and discuss issues such as climate change, carbon trading, air quality management, chemical management, a global plastics treaty and the circular economy.
The EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS), established in 2005, is the most mature and largest emission trading market worldwide, the ministry said, adding that EU emission trading measures include monitoring and verifying emissions, setting an emissions ceiling and allotting emissions percentages.
The entire system involves multiple patents and is trending toward becoming a powerful diplomatic strategy, it said.
Taiwan’s fastener industry, alongside steel and aluminum manufacturers, are affected as the CBAM requires exporters to EU member states to use actual embedded emissions data for the July-to-September quarter, it said.
The ministry said it has spoken with EU officials on the issue and has confirmed that Taiwan is eligible for carbon certificate deductions, but that the details would only be confirmed after the EU discusses third-party carbon pricing deductibility and other issues.
The discussions are expected to conclude by the middle of next year, it said.
The ministry’s current delegation established a mature communications platform and has built up mutual trust with the EU, adding that the European governing body would hold regular talks on climate change issues with Taiwan, which is an integral part of the global supply chain.
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