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
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or