Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Minister Wei Kuo-yen (魏國彥) yesterday said that Taiwan needs to propose a greenhouse gas reduction goal, otherwise the nation could face international sanctions over its excessive per capita carbon dioxide emissions.
Wei made the statement at a legislative committee session to discuss a draft greenhouse gas reduction act (溫室氣體減量法).
He said that the international community last year agreed to implement a new protocol at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Paris in December.
The new accord is to supplant the Kyoto Protocol, whose term of validity expires in 2020, and it is to become the sole legally binding document addressing climate change, Wei said.
Under the new accord, each signatory will be expected to propose a carbon reduction goal, known as the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), after assessing its national priorities, circumstances and capabilities.
Wei said that carbon dioxide generated by Taiwan accounts for about 0.81 percent of the world’s emissions, which may seem low, but its annual carbon dioxide emissions per capita amount to 11 tonnes, putting the nation 20th in the world.
He said that although Taiwan is not a member of the UN, it too will be expected by the international community to lay down a reduction plan for greenhouse gas emissions; otherwise it could face sanctions when an international tariff system on carbon emissions comes into effect.
Meanwhile, legislators on the Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee yesterday afternoon unfroze budgets totaling NT$95.93 million (US$3.13 million) for 25 EPA projects, while maintaining the freeze, totally or partially, on the budgets of four other projects.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇) suspended NT$270,000 requested by the administration to participate in what it calls meetings for academic exchanges in “global atmospheric quality protection” with China.
Three projects relating to waste reduction, noise control and control of toxic chemicals were partially frozen.
The budgets that remained frozen totaled about NT$119.3 million.
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