A new white paper on air quality, which is expected to be released by the end of March next year at the earliest, is to encompass public suggestions, the Ministry of Environment said today at a news conference to discuss the paper.
The paper would serve as the foundation for developing the third phase of air pollution control policies, to be implemented from 2028 to 2031.
The paper is to integrate public demands for air quality, enhance communication and openly address public concerns, Department of Atmospheric Environment head Chang Shun-chin (張順欽) said.
Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times
It would draw on international experience, incorporate emerging technologies and research to strengthen the science behind air quality policies and enhance international cooperation as well as domestic research, Chang said.
The ministry would establish a platform to consolidate public suggestions about Taiwan’s air quality starting on Jan. 8, creating a “good air wish list,” Chang said.
It would then hold a public forum before the Lunar New Year holiday to discuss the suggestions, he said.
The ministry is also holding a forum on sustainable clean air technology from Feb. 24 to 26, consolidating advice from experts and the public before publishing the white paper in March, he added.
The wish list encompasses four major aspects: improving air pollution from factories, vehicles and daily activities; reducing pollution and enhancing benefits under the net-zero transition; the impact of air pollutants, air-quality modeling and monitoring data; and strengthening the management of harmful pollutants, Chang said.
The influence of weather on air quality is a key aspect, but Taiwan has some of the least predictable weather in the world, said Lai Hsin-chih (賴信志), a professor of green energy and environmental resources at Chang Jung Christian University.
Europe and the US’ air quality regulations have a complete set of tools, encompassing climate and emissions, to set a timeline to achieve their goals, he said.
Only by designing a common scientific platform and using common tools would Taiwan be able to stand together and discuss how to improve the nation’s air quality, he said.
The results of NASA’s Kaohsiung-Pingtung 3D Air Quality Experiment (KPEx) revealed new insights that could serve as the basis for the third phase of air pollution control policies and determine how much air pollution could be reduced, said Lin Neng-huei (林能暉), a professor of atmospheric sciences at National Central University.
The second phase of the air pollution control plan, which runs from this year to 2027, sets a goal for the national average of PM2.5 concentration to reach 13μg/m³ by 2027, with an additional target of 12μg/m³ by 2030.
Considering that air quality issues persist in central and southern Taiwan during certain seasons, the target for these regions has been set to 15μg/m³.
Another goal of the plan is to reduce the national number of eight-hour ozone red alert days by 80 percent compared to 2019 levels.
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