More than 20 environmental experts from 12 nations yesterday gathered at the fourth International Environmental Partnership forum hosted by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) to discuss circular economy issues.
The two-day forum, which is taking place at Howard Civil Service International House in Taipei, was inaugurated yesterday.
The forum was initiated in 2014 by former US EPA administrator Gina McCarthy during her visit to Taiwan, EPA Minister Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) said at the opening, adding that it has become a collaborative event between the two agencies.
Since then, the program has inspired more than 60 activities involving more than 40 nations and 50 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), he said.
Taiwan has paid a great environmental cost, such as water and soil pollution, in its pursuit of economic development, he said, adding that the nation can help others avoid paying a similar price by sharing its experiences.
American Institute in Taiwan Deputy Director Robert Forden said that the forum is a great opportunity, and he hopes “to demonstrate to the global community that Taiwan should be welcome as part of the solution [to environmental problems].”
A circular economy, in addition to reducing and recycling waste, can “stimulate job creation, a fact that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) recognized when she named the circular economy one of the ‘five plus two’ innovative industries,” Forden said, adding that he looks forward to broadening collaboration between the two EPAs and businesses in both nations.
“A circular economy is no longer just a term that’s used by NGOs. It’s now also a common goal shared by governments ... and by the general public,” European Economic and Trade Office head Madeleine Majorenko said.
The European Commission in 2015 adopted “a very ambitious circular economy package,” which includes targets such as recycling 65 percent of municipal waste and 75 percent of packaging waste by 2030, Majorenko said, adding that the package requires “fundamental changes to our daily activities.”
Almere Mayor Franc Weerwind told how Almere, a satellite city of Amsterdam, has become a “circular city” by using waste as a raw material.
According to the goals of the “Almere 2.0” program, the city aims to become energy neutral and waste-free by 2022, when it is to host the seventh Floriade Almere international horticultural exhibition.
Almere and its sister city, Taichung, are also to organize the World Floral Exposition in Taichung next year, the EPA said in a news release.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
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