The Legislative Yuan yesterday established a UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Advisory Council, with officials highlighting a need to improve management of water resources.
The inauguration event was attended by Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃), Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Tseng (曾厚仁).
The council is to monitor the government’s performance as it seeks to attain the SDGs, facilitate cooperation between the public and private sectors, and promote parliamentary diplomacy, said Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌), who heads the council.
Photo: CNA
Promoting sustainability is not about helping others, but about self-help, Tsai said, adding that pursuing SDGs should not merely be a slogan or ideal, but should bring changes to thinking and actions.
The nation has implemented water rationing after none of this year’s 17 typhoons made landfall in Taiwan, meaning less rainfall, You said, adding that weather patterns have changed globally and at the township level.
It is important to follow natural rhythms and reduce unnecessary consumption that usually results from greed, You said, citing the Tao Te Ching (道德經).
Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said that the council’s establishment was a milestone for “green” governance.
With lower rainfall this year, the Bansin Water Supply Plant, which supplies parts of Taoyuan and New Taipei City, has had to draw 700,000 tonnes of water per day from the Feitsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫), Cheng said.
To facilitate smart management of resources, the Taiyuan City Government is assessing its recycling systems, groundwater and ponds, he said.
The city government is also promoting low-carbon logistics and other SDG-linked plans, he said.
Reporters asked Cheng, the only mayor at the event, if he was seeking to boost his influence at the legislature to prepare for after his second mayoral term ends in 2022.
He was there to promote sustainability, not for political reasons, Cheng said.
Local governments are important actors for executing policies, Tsai said.
Cheng was invited because of Taoyuan’s outstanding performance in promoting the SDGs, he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
A domestically developed “suicide drone,” also known as a loitering munition, would be tested and evaluated in July, and could enter mass production next year, Taiwan’s weapons developer said on Wednesday. The yet-to-be-named drone was among nine drone models unveiled by the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) on Tuesday. The drone has been dubbed the “Taiwanese switchblade” by Chinese-language media, due to its similarity to the US-made AeroVironment Switchblade 300, which has been used by Ukraine in counterattacks during Russia’s invasion. It has a range of more than 10km, a flight time of more than 15 minutes, and an electro-optical
OFFLINE: People who do not wish to register can get the money from select ATMs using their bank card, ID number and National Health Insurance card number Online registration for NT$6,000 (US$196.32) cash payments drawn from last year’s tax surplus is to open today for eligible people whose national ID or permanent residency number ends in either a zero or a one, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Officials from the ministry revealed which days Taiwanese and eligible foreigners would be able to register for the cash payments at a joint news conference with the Ministry of Digital Affairs. Online registration is to open tomorrow for those whose number ends in a two or three; on Friday for those that end in a four or five: on Saturday
Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) officials are investigating why a Starlux Airlines flight to Penang, Malaysia, returned to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport nearly two hours after takeoff yesterday morning. The airline said in a statement that Flight JX721 to Penang took off from Taoyuan airport at 9:20am. “After the dashboard showed a signal of an abnormality in the hydraulic system, the captain followed standard operating procedures and returned the flight to Taoyuan airport for safety precautions,” the airline said, adding that the flight landed safely at the airport at 11:04am. The airline arranged for the passengers to have lunch after the flight landed and
WORKING UP AN APPETITE: Sales at the Rueifong Night Market surged 20 to 30 percent, while seats at Liouhe Night Market were packed until 1am, market officials said South Korean pop band Blackpink’s concerts over the weekend in Kaohsiung helped draw large crowds to local night markets, the Kaohsiung City Government said yesterday. The two concerts on Saturday and Sunday at Kaohsiung National Stadium drew more than 90,000 people. The city government offered NT$50 vouchers to spend locally to concertgoers who showed their ticket stubs. Liouhe Night Market (六合夜市) management committee head Chuang Chi-chang (莊其章) said that crowds over the weekend surged at about 10pm and the market remained packed until 1:30am. “Almost all the seats were filled,” Chuang said. Night market stall owners had stocked up in expectation of an increased number