Taiwan is not a party to the Kyoto Protocol, which is likely to go into effect early next year. But the nation should soon establish specific goals to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to ensure its economic competitiveness, environmental groups said yesterday.
Yesterday, 69 groups held a press conference to remind the Executive Yuan of the importance of keeping Taiwan abreast of international trends and the fight against global warming. The groups urged the government to revise its out-of-date industrial policies, which have led to the continuous growth of emissions of greenhouse gases.
The Kyoto Protocol aims to reduce by 5.2 percent the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in one category of developed countries within the five-year period of 2008 to 2012. However, environmentalists said that it would be impossible for Taiwan to reach that goal.
Statistics from the Environmental Protection Administration show that in the energy sector, Taiwan's carbon dioxide emissions increased to 255 million tonnes last year from 113 tonnes in 1990.
"Our carbon dioxide emissions are still growing," said Mary Chen (
Chen also stressed the importance of informing the public about their responsibility to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Taiwan produces more carbon dioxide than all but 21 nations. For its size, Taiwan is a major emitter of greenhouse gases, environmentalists said. There are more than 15 million vehicles in Taiwan, which is home to 23 million people.
Chen Jiau-hua (
Wang To-far (
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
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About nine Taiwanese are “disappeared,” detained, or otherwise deprived of freedom of movement in China each month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Between Jan. 1 last year and Aug. 31 this year, 188 Taiwanese travelers went missing, were detained and interrogated, or had their personal freedom restricted, with some questioned in airports or hotel lobbies, the council said. In a statement ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the council urged people visiting China for any reason to be highly vigilant and aware of the risks. Of the reported cases, 50 people were “disappeared” after entering China, 19 were detained and 119 had
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