To make the nation more adaptable to the effects of climate change, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday announced its first funding project for research on climate change mitigation.
While the agency has previously subsidized projects for energy conservation and carbon reduction, this is its first funding project for climate action research in line with the Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act (溫室氣體減量及管理法) promulgated in 2015, Department of Environmental Management Director-General Yuan Shaw-ying (袁紹英) said.
The project aims to improve public awareness about climate-related issues and foster cross-disciplinary collaboration on environmental protection, especially after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last month called for faster efforts to stem global warming, the agency said.
Since climate change is a multifaceted issue, the agency encourages researchers of various disciplines to team up and propose plans that can be carried out in people’s daily lives, Yuan said.
However, applicants for basic research projects should seek funding from the Ministry of Science and Technology, which has a consortium for climate change studies, Yuan added.
As the EPA has limited funding for the program — about NT$15 million (US$485,405) for all projects next year — researchers are advised to seek additional subsidies from the ministry or the Ministry of Education, he said.
Approved proposals would be announced in the middle of next year, Yuan added.
In related news, the department is working with the Pingtung County Government to promote plastic garbage reduction on Siaoliouciou (小琉球), an island that has been designated by the EPA as a demonstration site for low-carbon and plastic-free life.
To encourage tourists to bring their own cups, the department has installed 10 water dispensers across the island with counters that display the number of plastic bottles saved, it said.
Since the dispensers were opened to the pubic last month, they have saved more than 10,000 600ml plastic bottles, it said.
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