A bill to establish Taiwan’s carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) would be formulated in the second half of this year at the earliest, Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said yesterday as new carbon tariffs are to be imposed under the EU’s CBAM next year.
The EU has said that mandatory carbon tariffs would be applied to carbon-intensive products imported into its territory, such as steel, cement and aluminum, with official guidelines to be issued by July or August.
Peng said he has taken up the EU’s invitation to become one of its international CBAM consultants and would continue to observe the latest developments.
Photo courtesy of China Steel Corp
Taiwan’s CBAM could be proposed in the second half of this year at the earliest in line with the EU’s official documents upon their release, he said.
Given that US President Donald Trump is introducing new tariff policies targeting different importing countries, how the EU’s CBAM responds to US tariff schemes remains uncertain, Peng said.
As CBAM is a complicated trade process that is regulated by the WTO, Taiwan would have to apply to the WTO for approval for its own version, he said.
Photo: Chen Chia-yi, Taipei Times
Domestic steel and cement manufacturers have complained to the Ministry of Environment that major competing importers are not required to disclose their carbon emissions, Peng said, adding that the ministry is compiling a list of importers — most of which are steel or cement manufacturers — to be regulated along with agencies in charge of international trade and customs affairs.
In line with the carbon fees implemented for domestic manufacturers from this year, the ministry would next set up a scheme requiring importers to disclose carbon footprints and emissions based on the EU’s regulations, he said.
For example, Taiwan imports about one-third of its cement from Vietnam, which would definitely be subject to CBAM regulations, he said.
Such measures must be introduced to protect domestic manufacturers, he said.
Meanwhile, the National Environmental Research Academy and the Water Resources Agency yesterday announced plans to make the Tamsui River (淡水河) clean enough to swim in.
“The goal is for people to swim in the river someday, just like the Seine in Paris,” Peng said at an event marking a signing of a memorandum of understanding on the “Transparent Tamsui River” imitative.
In the next few months, the project is to launch an online platform to help the public learn about the pollution status of the river, he said.
The Tamsui River is Taiwan’s most iconic river, and has been allocated the most money for cleaning and rehabilitation, he said.
Monitoring stations along the river can help identify pollution sources and help officials take necessary steps to reduce it, Water Resources Agency Director-General Lai Chien-hsin (賴建信) said.
Climate change affects seawater and the amount of water flowing through the Tamsui River to the sea, Lai said.
Starting this year, the agencies are to launch a new study on the effects of climate change on water volume and how heavily polluted water plays a role in these dynamics, he said.
Proactive water management is necessary as climate change has caused severe changes in water systems, National Environmental Research Academy Director Liu Tsung-yung (劉宗勇) said.
Through scientific research, these efforts can be bolstered, such as through cooperation between the National Environmental Research Academy and the Water Resources Agency on climate change, pollution prevention and water planning, he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, yesterday said that it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a sick flight attendant, who died on Saturday. The airline made the statement in response to a post circulating on social media that said that the flight attendant on an outbound flight was feeling sick and notified the cabin crew manager. Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the manager did not contact Medlink — a system that connects the aircraft to doctors on the ground for treatment advice during medical
The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union yesterday vowed to protest at the EVA Air Marathon on Sunday next week should EVA Airway Corp’s management continue to ignore the union’s petition to change rules on employees’ leave of absence system, after a flight attendant reportedly died after working on a long-haul flight while ill. The case has generated public discussion over whether taking personal or sick leave should affect a worker’s performance review. Several union members yesterday protested at the Legislative Yuan, holding white flowers and placards, while shouting: “Life is priceless; requesting leave is not a crime.” “The union is scheduled to meet with
‘UNITED FRONT’ RHETORIC: China’s TAO also plans to hold weekly, instead of biweekly, news conferences because it wants to control the cross-strait discourse, an expert said China’s plan to expand its single-entry visa-on-arrival service to Taiwanese would be of limited interest to Taiwanese and is a feeble attempt by Chinese administrators to demonstrate that they are doing something, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said the program aims to facilitate travel to China for Taiwanese compatriots, regardless of whether they are arriving via direct flights or are entering mainland China through Hong Kong, Macau or other countries, and they would be able to apply for a single-entry visa-on-arrival at all eligible entry points in China. The policy aims
RSS