The UN Environmental Program (UNEP) confirmed that Taiwanese cities and companies can apply to join the newly established Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), opening a new way for Taiwan's future participation in the global campaign against climate change.
UNEP unveiled CN Net at the 10th Special Session of the Governing Council and Global Ministerial Environmental Forum in Monaco earlier this month, aiming at "catalyzing a transition to a low-carbon world."
Under the program, CN Net will integrate countries, cities and companies all over the world to boost a green economy and "assist in building confidence through demonstrable action at the national and local level on the art of the possible," said Achim Steiner, the UN under-secretary-general and UNEP executive director.
Climate neutral refers to the concept of reducing or offsetting greenhouse gases emitted by a country in ways such as planting trees, reducing fuel usage and adopting green energy, to balance the global warming effect.
Asked if Taiwan, as a non-UN member, could join the program, UNEP spokesman Nick Nuttall said in a telephone interview on Friday that Taiwanese cities and companies could file applications at any time. He stopped short of mentioning whether Taiwan could join the program at the national level.
"It is a positive development, paving a new way for Taiwan to participate in the environmental movement on an international scale," Taiwan Environmental Protection Union chairwoman Gloria Hsu (徐光蓉) said.
"What needs to be seen is Taiwanese people's and the government's seriousness about environmental protection," she said, adding that once Taiwan joins the program, it would have to make commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
So far, four countries -- Costa Rica, Iceland, New Zealand and Norway -- and four cities, including Rizhao, in Shandong Province, the Norwegian city of Arendal, the Swedish city of Vaxjo and Canada's Vancouver, as well as five companies in Singapore, Brazil, the US, the UK and South Africa, have signed on to CN Net.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Environmental Protection Administration would not discuss Taiwan's eventual participation in the program.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
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