Saying the US takes the issue of climate change seriously, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director William Stanton yesterday said the AIT’s new compound would be environmentally friendly.
The new AIT compound, located in Taipei City’s Neihu District (內湖), is expected to be completed in 2012.
Stanton said the building would have at least 2,500m² of solar panels, use rain for irrigation and be built on less than 15 percent of the total ground area of the site, “which will allow us to leave much of the natural environment intact.”
“The new compound will symbolize not only the importance and vibrancy of US-Taiwan ties, but will also be a symbol of the importance the US places on environmental stewardship,” he said in an address at a ceremony honoring winners of a writing contest hosted by the AIT in observance of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.
LEED BUILDING
It will also be accredited as a Leadership in Energy and Environment Design, or LEED, building, the world’s highest standard in green construction, Stanton said.
Citing Canadian academic and educator Marshall McLuhan, who once said, “There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew,” Stanton said: “We all have a responsibility to be good stewards of our planet. At AIT, we take this responsibility seriously.”
“We have had success in addressing problems such as watershed management, hazardous-waste disposal and greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. “Our bilateral cooperation has undoubtedly contributed to making the world a cleaner and greener place.”
At a separate setting yesterday, Taiwanese government officials promised to turn Taiwan into a low-carbon society, calling on individuals, schools and businesses to work with the government and take actions to protect the environment and fulfill their duties as members of the global village.
“The Earth is where we live and any change in the environment affects everyone,” Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said in remarks made at the Cabinet meeting.
Wu said the government would continue to employ measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and abide by the resolutions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to lessen the impact of climate change on the environment.
Vice Premier Eric Chu (朱立倫) said the nation aimed to reduce carbon emissions by 210 million tonnes by 2020.
GOAL
“210 tonnes is our ultimate goal,” Chu said during an event hosted by the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy. “We must strive to raise energy efficiency by at least 2 percent every year.”
“The use of new energy sources must also exceed 50 percent within the next five years,” he said.
“We also hope that the use of electric motorcycles and automobiles can be increased. The development of mass rapid transit systems could also help curb CO² emissions and save energy,” he said.
Also See: US still assessing legislative beef ban, Stanton says
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