Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers have proposed five amendments that would remove the “nuclear-free homeland” goal in favor of other terminology emphasizing carbon neutrality.
The opposition lawmakers have proposed several changes to Article 23 of the Basic Environment Act (環境基本法), which mandates the government to “formulate a plan to progressively achieve the goal of a non-nuclear homeland.”
The bills offer slightly different wording options, such as calling for a “zero-carbon homeland” or “utilizing nuclear energy to decarbonize.”
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
In KMT Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling’s (翁曉玲) version, the act would require the government to “formulate a plan to progressively achieve the goal of net zero emissions.”
Another version supported by KMT legislators Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) and Chang Chih-lun (張智倫) says the government “should reduce and manage greenhouse gas emissions in response to climate change, and progressively achieve the goal of a zero-carbon homeland.”
KMT Legislator Su Ching-chuan (蘇清泉) proposed mandating the use of nuclear power as an element of the government’s energy policy.
Su’s amendment would also add a provision to Article 28 offering health exams and compensation to people harmed by environmental pollutants.
Achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is the global consensus, and nuclear energy should be developed to achieve that goal if it can be done safely, KMT lawmakers said.
Some countries have classified nuclear power as a form of clean energy, while the International Energy Agency has said it would be difficult to build a sustainable and clean energy system without nuclear power, they said.
The environment act is only one of a number of laws the KMT has set its sights on since passing controversial bills to expand legislative powers last month.
The party is also looking to mandate construction of three large transportation infrastructure projects serving the east coast, as well as exempt party-affiliated organizations from investigations for ill-gotten assets.
On Friday last week, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told lawmakers that his Cabinet “has no plans” to amend regulations that would have paved the way for the continued operation of Taiwan’s only operational nuclear power plant.
That meant there would be no legal basis for the continued operation of the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County.
Ma-anshan is the only operating nuclear power plant in Taiwan, but it would be decommissioned after the operating licenses of its two reactors expire next month and in May next year.
Energy Administration data show that nuclear power represented 6.3 percent of Taiwan’s energy mix last year, while fossil fuels accounted for 83.1 percent and renewables for 9.5 percent.
Additional reporting by CNA
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS