Taiwan is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions in agriculture as part of the nation’s response to climate change, Council of Agriculture (COA) Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said yesterday.
Chen made the comment at a conference held by the council in Taipei, at which more than 200 officials, academics and industry representatives discussed the agricultural sector’s path to obtaining net-zero goals.
Citing government statistics, COA officials told the conference that agriculture contributed 2.2 percent of Taiwan’s greenhouse gas emissions, with soil carbon from agricultural activities accounting for 35.9 percent of carbon sources other than fuel combustion.
Animal waste from husbandry accounted for 27.2 percent of carbon sources other than fuel combustion, while rice planting accounted for 18.5 percent and livestock flatulence accounted for 17.4 percent, they said.
The council has for years been planning its response to climate change and that preparation has helped to stabilize the effects of climate on agricultural production in the country, Chen said.
Taiwan releases 260 million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, including 500 tonnes of emissions that originate from the agricultural sector, an amount that incurs an estimated financial loss of NT$13 billion (US$467.26 million), he said.
In response, the council is adjusting its strategy to implement more rapidly measures contributing to “net-zero agriculture,” he said.
The measures include programs to create climate-resilient crops, climate insurance for farmers, and a reduction in carbon emissions by utilizing the nation’s forest reserves and seas, he said, adding that a dedicated climate office to coordinate the policies is being considered.
Last year’s 100-year drought should prompt reflection on the extent to which the nation relies on the manufacturing sector, which has a substantial carbon footprint, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said.
The Cabinet is working to speed up the transition to a net-zero emissions economy, increase the capacity of natural carbon sinks and provide the council with more funding in the coming years, he said.
Lin Hsing-juh (林幸助), who heads the Center for Environmental Restoration and Disaster Reduction at National Chung Hsing University, said that a streamlining of bureaucracies would facilitate an important investigation into the role of the nation’s wetlands as carbon sinks.
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