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Economic sides of the emissions controversy

Representatives from around the world are congregating in Bali, not for a meeting of the UN General Assembly, but for a global climate conference. We are not a member of the UN, yet our government has sent a large entourage of officials.

Why is the whole world watching the conference? Why should Taiwan also participate in carbon reductions?

From my observations at the Bali UN Climate Change Conference, I have become deeply convinced that global carbon reduction is a trend for the future.

Taiwan should respond as soon as possible.

The foundation of the global climate change conference is based on the scientific community's judgment that the long-term emission of greenhouse gases has caused global warming in the past 100 years -- a trend that will lead to repercussions such as climatic instability, increased frequency of natural disasters caused by extreme weather and rising sea levels. Future generations will suffer from the neglect of our generation.

Since the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change came into effect in 1994, its greatest victory has been the Kyoto Protocol, formulated in 1997, which aims to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases to 5.2 percent below 1990 levels between next year and 2012. Although the US has yet to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, it still came into effect in 2005. Its development defied much of the expectations of financial experts and allowed solar and wind energy industries the opportunity for rapid growth.

The flexibility mechanisms in the Kyoto Protocol allow industrialized nations to reduce emissions through joint implementation, emissions trading and the Clean Development Mechanism by purchasing Certified Emissions Reductions to add to its own reductions targets. This has led emissions reduction brokers to shuttle back and forth between advanced and developing nations, forging another environmental industry: Last year's transactions alone approached US$22 billion.

For the future, the scientific community advises even greater reductions in order to achieve the objective of keeping global warming below 2oC. The EU proposes that the emission of greenhouse gases should be 50 percent less than levels in 1990, with participation from every country in the world. The global movement for carbon reduction will be renewed on an even larger scale after this round of negotiations has produced a consensus.

The focus in this world climate race is to let the economic competitive edge of the next generation keep up with the rest of the world. The goal of an even more active strategy is to raise the average national income cleanly, so that Taiwan can join the US$20,000 club before long.

Recently, high-level government bodies have finally begun to discuss the formulation of a target and timeline for emissions reduction. Though far from international expectations, at least emissions reduction has been adopted into policy considerations.

The next step is to observe the government's method of implementation. If various emission reduction policies come into effect, the daily routines of the public will be greatly affected and new industries and work opportunities will be created.

However, we need to join in climate conventions officially as a carbon-emitting nation and publicly ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Only then can we grasp new international developments, participate in the various flexibility mechanisms under the protocol, obtain new technologies transmitted through climate conventions and gain knowledge on adapting to effects of climate change.

Liou Ming-lone is the chairman of the Environmental Quality Protection Foundation.

Translated by Angela Hong
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