The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday said it would work with businesses to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity generation and transportation industries, which saw moderate increases last year despite a nationwide reduction of 4.1 percent.
The bulk of reductions were a result of the economic downturn over the last year, EPA Minister Stephen Shen (沈世宏) said. He added that in the absence of a concrete greenhouse gas reduction act, further reductions would have to come by working with businesses and other major emitters
The proposal was submitted to the legislature in 2006. However, it has been repeatedly held up, prompting EPA officials to speculate that lawmakers were concerned about its possible effect on big industries. The bill includes a platform for domestic carbon-emissions trading and hopes that eventually it will allow Taiwan to connect the network with international carbon markets.
Representatives from China Airlines Ltd, the nation’s biggest carrier by volume, said the company would work to reduce its yearly emissions output of 6.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide to set an example for the transportation industry.
Dean Young (楊定輝), vice-president of the company’s Corporate Safety Division, said the airline expected to reduce that amount by introducing more fuel efficient engines, streamlining passenger networks and reducing aircraft weight.
He said the airline recognized the importance of reducing emissions, but reductions would also have to come from other industries because airplane emissions only account for 2 percent of the global total, while contributing 8 percent of economic output.
Meanwhile, representatives for Taipei 101 pledged to create one of the world’s tallest green buildings by drastically reducing power consumption, which accounts for almost 98 percent of the building’s yearly output of 62,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Although the 4.1 percent reduction in Taiwan’s overall carbon dioxide emissions is the first reduction since 1991, Taiwan still ranks among the top 20 global emitters per capita and contributes about 1 percent of worldwide emissions.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition