The nation’s competitiveness in terms of green technology has been declining, the Center for Energy and Environmental Research at Chunghua Institute for Economic Research (CIER, 中華經濟研究院) said, citing various international reports.
Taiwan ranked No. 21 in the world and No. 6 in Asia last year in the evaluation of competitiveness conducted by Switzerland’s International Center for Management Development (IMD) based on green technology, slumping from its previous standing at No. 6 in the world and No. 2 in Asia in 2010, the center said.
Three major global green economy indices, including the IMD’s, registered the nation’s underperformance in developing green competitiveness, it said, adding that Taiwan has seen declines in the IMD environmental rankings as well.
Among the 60 nations evaluated last year by the IMD, Taiwan ranked 55th in the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption, and 47th in available sewage treatment for household water supplies, the center said.
The nation ranked 40th in carbon dioxide emissions, and 48th in industry sector emissions per US$1 million GDP, the center added.
Meanwhile, according to the Low Carbon Environmental Goods and Services index released by the British government in 2013, Taiwan ranked 16th in gross sales of green goods and services, with the US, China and Japan topping the category, the center said.
However, Taiwan’s growth rate of 1.8 percent in green sales was ranked second-to-last among the 50 nations surveyed, overshadowing its relatively fair standing in global green markets, the center said.
By comparison, South Korea’s growth rate peaked at 5.8 percent, standing at 13th in sales rank, the research center said.
According to the Global Green Economy Index released by a US consulting firm last year, Taiwan stood at 30th in green performance among the 60 nations assessed, while it trailed at No. 46 in the perception ranking, the center said.
At the Lima Climate Change Conference last year, the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the EU, among other economies, aimed at reducing carbon output by as much as 40 percent by 2030, which creates a substantial spike in the global economy to go green, the center said.
Taiwan needs to pump up its green performance to keep up with global trends, the center said.
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