A delegation of government and industry officials is taking part in the UN Climate Change Con-vention in New Delhi, which opened yesterday, as observers.
This is the first time the government has included representatives from the private sector in its delegation to the convention -- the Eighth Session of the Conference of the Parties or COP8.
The 10-day convention will focus on preparing governments and civil societies, especially in developing countries, for the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on climate change, which comes into effect early next year, the UN said in a statement.
Government leaders and sci-entists from more than 180 countries will discuss implementation of the protocol, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb global warming.
According to the EPA, the government has recognized the importance of the contributions that Taiwan can make to the worldwide trend toward environmental protection activities.
"We have industry representatives participate the COP8 in order to seek innovative channels for Taiwan to contribute to environmental protection at global levels," EPA officials said at a press conference yesterday.
Led by Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Deputy Administrator Lin Ta-hsiung (林達雄), the delegation is composed of representatives of government agencies, research institutes and industry -- the China Steel Corp and Formosa Plastic Group.
In addition to EPA officials, there are representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Energy Commission, the National Science Council, the Council of Agriculture, Taiwan Power Comp, the Industrial Technology Re-search Institute, National Tsing Hua University and National Taipei University.
The secretary-general for the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Taiwan, Niven Huang (黃正忠), told the Taipei Times yesterday that the cooperation between the government and the private sector deserves to be encouraged.
"Realizing the practical reality, Taiwan still has alternative ways to make contribution to the implementation of Kyoto Protocol through its flexible mechanisms," Huang said.
The protocol has three flexible mechanisms: emissions trading, joint implementation and clean development.
Huang said local firms used to pay little attention to how transnational companies invested in emission reduction issues at local, regional and global levels.
"Taiwanese industry should keep itself well-informed when the protocol parties are establishing detailed practical measures to implement the agreement because potential investment opportunities are hidden there," he said.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS