Greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector account for more than 90 percent of Taiwan’s total emissions and are challenging the government’s net zero goals, Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said yesterday.
As it would be “very difficult” to achieve emissions reductions targets, the government needs to accelerate the development of green energy production if it hopes to meet its net zero emissions goal by 2030, Peng told a news conference in Taipei, where he announced the ministry’s latest report on greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2022, Taiwan recorded 285.97 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and 264.13 million tonnes of net emissions (after removal of gases through land use changes and forestry) — a 4.07 percent decrease from 2021, and 1.77 percent drop compared with the base year, 2005, he said.
Photo: CNA
The energy sector produced 259.85 million tonnes of emissions in 2022, accounting for 90.87 percent of total emissions for that year, the report showed.
That was an increase of more than 10,000 tonnes compared with energy sector emissions in 2005, and also the largest annual increase in emissions for the sector, it showed.
As for other sectors in 2022, industrial processing and product usage accounted for 20.24 million tonnes of emission, or 7.08 percent; agriculture accounted for 3.18 million tonnes, or 1.11 percent; and waste management generated 2.7 million tonnes, or 0.94 percent.
A total of 21.83 million tonnes of the emissions were removed through land use, land use changes and forestry, accounting for 7.64 percent of total emissions in 2022.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan’s economy grew, but its carbon emissions were lower than those of other countries,” Peng said. “That was a positive trend, but we still have much to do in the drive toward net zero emissions.”
Although there is currently no adequate plan in place for the nation’s energy transition, as the environment minister, he would uphold Article 23 of the Basic Environment Act (環境基本法), which states that “the government must formulate a plan to progressively achieve the goal of a non-nuclear homeland,” he said.
A public majority consensus would be needed to continue using nuclear power, but finding a solution for nuclear waste disposal remains a challenge, he said.
“For now, the development of green energy solutions needs to be accelerated. If new technologies emerge, we need to adjust to those developments,” he said.
The government’s current emissions-reduction plan calls for a 10 percent reduction compared with the base year by next year, Peng said, adding that it would be difficult to achieve.
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