Taiwan scores success at summit

Taiwan's recent successful participation in the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) demonstrates not only the nation's resolution to keep up with international environmental trends but also its future direction in the diplomatic sector, Minister without Portfolio Yeh Jiunn-rong (葉俊榮) said yesterday.

Reviewing Taiwanese officials' 11-day stay in Johannesburg, South Africa, where the summit was held, Yeh, the leader of Taiwan's delegation, said that more measures would be carried out to redirect Taiwan's diplomatic strategies, which would focus on sustainable development.

"Taiwan's aid to developing countries to ensure their sustainable future will eventually gain their respect," Yeh said at a press conference held in Taipei yesterday.

Yeh said that he and Environmental Protection Administrator Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) had actually planned future international cooperation with countries, such as Gambia, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Burkina Faso, the Solomon Islands, South Africa, Canada and Indonesia.

Environmental Protection Agency head Hau met with Joke Waller-Hunter, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to demonstrate Taiwan's desire to work with the international community to protect the planet.

When Russia followed Canada in promising to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on Sept. 3 at the summit, the once-troubled UN pact on global warming was revived. Ratification by Russia will mean that the climate change pact will take effect despite US opposition.

Taiwan, a non-party of the protocol, will not be able to participate because of its diplomatic status.

Yeh told the Taipei Times that Taiwan is pleased that the protocol will take effect but noted that Taiwan does not have to follow the regulations set down by the pact.

"What Taiwan can do now is to adjust its structure of industry to limit carbon dioxide emissions to show that Taiwan is sincere about working with others on these issues," Yeh said.

In addition, Yeh stressed that Taiwan should be especially attentive to international trends in the energy and biodiversity sectors.

"Our past dependence on fossil fuel and nuclear energy should be carefully reviewed because renewable sources of energy will be further promoted by the rest of the world for the sake of environmental protection," Yeh said.

Taiwan should focus on preserving natural coasts and wetlands because many surveys have shown that traditional development models conflict with ecological conservation, which is the foundation of biodiversity.

DPP Legislator Eugene Jao (趙永清), who was the only representative from the Legislative Yuan at the summit, said at the press conference that concepts of sustainable development should be considered in any review of the Economic Development Advisory Conference held last year.

"After all, Taiwan needs politicians who care about whether future generations will survive in 200 years rather than political figures who only care about the next election," Jao said.

Meanwhile, representatives from Taiwan Action NGOs (TANGOs), who spent two weeks in Johannesburg, said at another press conference yesterday that international networks were built or further strengthened by NGOs in Tibet, Germany, Hong Kong, China and South Korea.

"Our mission to promote sustainable development at home has already begun since our return from Johannesburg," said Juju Wang (王俊秀), the leader of TANGOs.