The government’s energy saving and carbon-reduction plans for next year will need a budget of more than NT$100 billion (US$3.25 billion), a Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) official said yesterday.
The package covers projects proposed by different government departments in line with the guidelines on the energy policy developed by the Executive Yuan in June, the official said.
The guidelines emphasized strengthening research and development of energy conservation, developing carbon-free renewable energy and looking at nuclear power as an option for carbon-free energy, the official said.
Increasing energy efficiency, phasing out old electricity power plants and promoting green industry and green architecture were all highlighted in the guidelines, the official said.
The government’s energy policy aims to reduce the annual level of carbon dioxide emissions in Taiwan to this year’s levels by 2020 and to 2000 levels by 2025, the official said.
The official said the projects in the budget package covered a range of proposals, such as promoting cycling as an alternative means of transportation, dispensing with the use of paper in offices and planting forests.
The council, which is responsible for drafting overall plans for national economic development, evaluating development projects and coordinating the economic policymaking activities of ministries and agencies, will submit the projects to the Executive Yuan for final approval, the official said.
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