Complicated permit procedures, and a lack of sound standards and best practices for stakeholder engagement perpetuate market risks and drag on Taiwan’s energy transition, the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) said in a report yesterday.
Taiwan has made progress over the past decade in developing renewable energy projects and 2019 amendments to the Renewable Energy Development Act (再生能源發展條例) target 27 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by next year, the Taiwan Renewable Energy Industry Challenges report said.
However, clear milestones to meet the goals have been missed and targets have been adjusted downward, the report said.
Photo: CNA
Industry leaders blame the setback mainly on a lack of robust standards and best practices for stakeholder engagement, as well as overly complicated permit procedures, among other challenges, it said.
Its conclusions were drawn after a thorough analysis of Taiwan’s market and its regulatory environment, it said.
The chamber said that it also identified challenges faced by industries, and examined international practices, standards and academic research to provide recommendations aimed at expediting green energy development in Taiwan.
More effective guidelines and resources for stakeholder engagement in Taiwan are required, which would include a clear definition of who is and who is not a stakeholder and a well-defined stakeholder engagement process, it said.
A robust and comprehensive stakeholder engagement process should be integral to planning, execution and operation of renewable energy projects, it added.
A lack of clarity, objectivity and efficiency at some points of the permit process has exposed projects to great risk, affected their ability to be completed on time and damaged the perception of the Taiwanese market in the eyes of international investors, it said.
Taiwan can refer to practices in places such as the UK, Denmark and Germany, which have clearer guidelines and streamlined permit processes for renewable energy projects, the chamber said.
“A successful green energy rollout is in the best interests of the general public, government and industry alike,” the report said.
Constructive dialogue among stakeholders from the government, political parties and the public is required, it said.
The private and public sectors should join efforts to address challenges and achieve the shared goal of expanding and expediting Taiwan’s renewable energy rollout so the nation can realize its energy and net zero goals, it said.
The chamber is the principal organization representing and promoting European business interests in Taiwan.
With more than US$70 billion in combined direct foreign investment, European businesses are collectively the largest group of foreign investors in Taiwan.
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