Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers.
The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather.
The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation.
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The groups said that the Regulations for the Management of Setting up Renewable Energy Power Generation Equipment of Power Users above a Certain Contract Capacity (一定契約容量以上之電力用戶應設置再生能源發電設備管理辦法), promulgated by the ministry in 2021, were ineffective in incentivizing corporations to reduce emissions.
Greenpeace said it would continue to challenge the court ruling on legal and factual grounds, adding that all voices must be heard and respected equally when it comes to climate justice.
The judge said that people or civic groups only have the right of initiation in legislation, but have no right to demand that administrative agencies amend laws, Greenpeace East Asia Climate and Energy Director Hsin I (忻儀) said.
The court also found that Taiwan experiences typhoons, floods and natural disasters due to its geographical location and it is difficult to determine whether extreme weather events are related to climate change, she said.
It is already internationally recognized and scientifically proven that Taiwan’s extreme weather phenomena are related to climate change, she said.
Research by World Weather Attribution found that climate change increased wind speeds by about 7 percent and rainfall by 14 percent during Typhoon Gaemi last year, Greenpeace said.
Moreover, residential and commuter areas are already under tangible threat from extreme flooding due to climate change, it said.
It referenced a 2023 report by National Taiwan University’s Center for Weather, Climate and Disaster Research and flooding in New Taipei City’s Fujhou, Banqiao and Sanchong railway stations.
The government must address the long-term consequences of climate change on natural disasters and the environment, and protect the public’s rights in cases of natural disasters, Hsin said.
The public has the right to demand that the government and corporations uphold their carbon reduction commitments, she added.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
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