Environmental advocacy groups yesterday urged the government to adopt four carbon-pricing strategy proposals, including establishing a carbon fee collection scheme, before the new administration takes office next month.
To mark Earth Day, the groups — including the Green Citizens’ Action Alliance, Environmental Rights Foundation and Homemakers United Foundation — issued a joint statement calling for the government to speed up the establishment of a carbon fee collection system to demonstrate its determination to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The groups called for the establishment of a carbon fee rate before May 20 to avoid issues that might delay the adoption of such a scheme after the new administration takes office.
Photo: CNA
If the carbon fee rate is established too late, some sources of greenhouse gas emissions might be minimized in policies, or the government might make excuses for failing to formulate carbon reduction policies in its first year or claim to be unable to retroactively pay the fees on time next year for emissions produced this year, they said.
The groups proposed that the starting price of the carbon fee be set at NT$500 per tonne, in line with international standards.
South Korea’s carbon trading price in 2022 was about NT$540 per tonne, while Singapore this year increased its carbon fee to NT$570 per tonne, they said.
Photo: Chen Chia-yi, Taipei Times
The groups also recommended that the minutes of Carbon Fee Rate Review Committee meetings be published to ensure that the public understands the government’s decisionmaking process and that supervision of it is conducted effectively.
The committee has so far held two meetings, they said.
The statement also called for the formulation of supporting regulation for carbon pricing to facilitate the establishment of a complete carbon fee collection system.
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