Environmentalists yesterday staged a demonstration outside Taipei Fubon Bank’s headquarters in Taipei, calling it an evil-hearted company as it is one of the shareholders of Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Co’s (KKPTC) planned petrochemical plant in Changhua County.
KKPTC’s plan to build refineries on coastal wetland in Changhua County’s Dacheng Township (大城) has sparked controversy, with many residents — especially oyster farmers — worried that a petrochemical plant would bring pollution and destroy the oyster farming industry.
Holding up placards that read “Fubon is evil,” “Save pink dolphins” and “Cut up your Fubon credit cards,” environmentalists yesterday tore up replica Fubon credit cards in the protest.
PHOTO: CNA
LIFE EXPECTANCY
“According to studies, [the pollution brought by] the petrochemical industrial park will shorten the average life expectancy in the country by 23 days,” Green Party Taiwan convener Pan Han-sheng (潘翰聲) said. “Taipei Fubon Bank, whose investment in the petrochemical park project accounts for 4 percent of the total amount of investment, is responsible for one day’s decrease.”
Pan said that according to the Equator Principles upheld by over 70 multinational banks around the world, a signatory financial institution should not provide mortgages to development projects that do not take into consideration corporate social responsibilities and environmental protection.
“Fubon calls itself an international bank, but apparently it doesn’t care much about such issues,” said Pan, urging the public to boycott the bank and all its financial products and services if it does not withdraw its investment in the petrochemical park project.
“If you have a Fubon account, close it; if you invest through Fubon, stop doing so; if you play a sports lottery that’s run by Fubon, don’t do it anymore,” Pan said. “With every cent you put into the hands of Taipei Fubon Bank, you’re contributing to a project that may kill you.”
ENDANGERED DOLPHINS
Environmentalists and Changhua County residents worry that pollution from the petrochemical park will not only destroy the local agricultural, fishing and fish farming industries, but will also kill critically endangered pink dolphins.
Taiwan Environmental Protection Union Changhua Division executive director Shih Yueh-ying (施月英) said that although there are many other shareholders in the project, “Taipei Fubon Bank is the only one that is not in the petrochemical industry. Hence, the bank’s own business would not be affected if it withdrew from the project. That’s why we’re aiming at the bank first.”
Taiwan is to have nine extended holidays next year, led by a nine-day Lunar New Year break, the Cabinet announced yesterday. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year matches the length of this year’s holiday, which featured six extended holidays. The increase in extended holidays is due to the Act on the Implementation of Commemorative and Festival Holidays (紀念日及節日實施條例), which was passed early last month with support from the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party. Under the new act, the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve is also a national holiday, and Labor Day would no longer be limited
COMMITMENTS: The company had a relatively low renewable ratio at 56 percent and did not have any goal to achieve 100 percent renewable energy, the report said Pegatron Corp ranked the lowest among five major final assembly suppliers in progressing toward Apple Inc’s commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2030, a Greenpeace East Asia report said yesterday. While Apple has set the goal of using 100 percent renewable energy across its entire business, supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030, carbon emissions from electronics manufacturing are rising globally due to increased energy consumption, it said. Given that carbon emissions from its supply chain accounted for more than half of its total emissions last year, Greenpeace East Asia evaluated the green transition performance of Apple’s five largest final
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
Temperatures in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) climbed past 37°C yesterday, as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued heat alerts for 16 municipalities, warning the public of intense heat expected across Taiwan. The hottest location in Taiwan was in Sindian, where the mercury reached 37.5°C at about 2pm, according to CWA data. Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) recorded a temperature of 37.4°C at noon, Taitung County’s Jinfeng Township (金峰) at 12:50 pm logged a temperature of 37.4°C and Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) reached 36.7°C at 11:40am, the CWA said. The weather agency yesterday issued a yellow level information notice for Taipei, New
RSS