Sustainable human development has various challenging aspects and the most crucial aspect is energy. As the economy rapidly grows, energy supply has become key to the overall economic development of a nation and the most important input factor promoting business growth. Studies show a positive correlation between energy consumption and economic growth, as energy supply leads to both tangible and intangible technological advancements and productivity growth. Meanwhile, energy development and use often have negative environmental effects. For example, burning fossil fuels has a serious environmental and ecological impact.
The reduction of carbon dioxide emissions is a shared global responsibility and obligation, as emissions affect a nation’s carbon footprint and international industrial competitiveness. The international community’s demand that carbon dioxide emissions be reduced has become an important part of the energy policy of major nations. People have become aware of the threat posed by global warming and environmental changes. Many developed nations have proposed their own emission reduction policies to boost energy efficiency and reduce consumption — because “energy” is a core issue affecting human sustainable development.
Driven by rapid economic development in recent years, Taiwan’s energy consumption has increased greatly, but the nation’s self-generated energy is insufficient, and it is highly dependent on energy imports, particularly between 1994 and 2014, when more than 97 percent of Taiwan’s energy was imported.
In 2014, Taiwan imported the equivalent of 144.6 million kiloliters of oil, 23.44 percent of the value of total imports that year.
To manage the uncertainty of international energy supply and reduce the effects of energy shortages, a full understanding of changes in energy consumption and improved energy efficiency is an important policy goal.
Energy efficiency can relieve energy demand and peak loads. There are hundreds of techniques and procedures suitable for residential, commercial, industrial, manufacturing and other sectors, such as, high-efficiency cooling and heating systems, and energy-saving light bulbs.
An essential concept is that the cost of these measures is far lower than the cost of the energy saved. In concrete numbers, this means that every US$1 spent on energy efficiency can generate a net profit of US$2. In other words, the average cost of an energy efficiency plan is only about half the cost of base-load power generation. This number could serve as a reference as Taiwan builds power plants.
The residential and commercial sectors mainly use electricity. The consumption volume of these sectors is 69,773 gigawatt-hours, accounting for 29.4 percent of total consumption. Among electric appliances used in residential and commercial settings, air conditioning and lighting equipment require the most energy. Energy saving in these two sectors should therefore target air conditioning and lighting. One concrete method would be to replace appliances with energy-efficient upgrades.
However, the initial investment in energy-efficient products is usually high, so people are less willing to purchase them. Also, companies might be reluctant to allocate more capital for research and development of energy-efficient products.
The government should provide incentives and enforcement to encourage the use of such devices. A carrot-and-stick strategy would likely boost Taiwan’s economic competitiveness, while protecting the environment, achieving sustainable national development based on the government’s “three ‘E’s” policy: energy safety, environmental protection and energy development.
Lu Shyi-min is a retired energy policy researcher.
Translated by Eddy Chang
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance. Fu on Wednesday last week confirmed that following an invitation by Beijing, he would lead a group of lawmakers to China from Thursday to Sunday to discuss tourism and agricultural exports, but he refused to say whether they would meet with Chinese officials. That the visit is taking place during the legislative session and in the aftermath