Taiwan’s fourth climate adaptation plan prepares for more severe warming scenarios, Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭?明) said yesterday, sharing how the nation has incorporated global risk indicators, and expanded extreme-heat measures with nationwide drills and a smart warning system for elderly people living alone.
Peng spoke to the Legislative Yuan about Taiwan’s climate adaptation efforts yesterday, coinciding with Earth Day.
The global average temperature is rising at an accelerating pace, with sea temperatures repeatedly breaking historical records, Peng said.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
While previous projections estimated a 2.8°C increase by 2100, mitigation efforts have fallen short, prompting the EU to prepare for a 4°C increase, he said.
Global temperatures have risen by more than 1.5°C, and Taiwan’s average temperature has risen by 1.6°C from 1911 to 2020, underscoring the importance and urgency of climate adaptation efforts, the minister said.
Taiwan is aligning closely with the UN Climate Change Conference by adopting 59 international Belem adaptation indicators, Peng said.
The government has launched its fourth National Climate Adaptation Action Plan, which would run from next year to 2030 and prioritize more severe warming scenarios — including a 1.5°C rise from 2021 to 2040 and a 2°C rise from 2041 to 2060 — to plan for compound risks and long-term adaptation, he said.
To address extreme heat, the government has established a heat adaptation alliance to put forward recommendations based on science, policy and action, Peng said, adding that heat adaptation exhibitions have been held across Taiwan to raise public awareness.
Drills were conducted based on a scenario of three consecutive days of 38°C temperatures in Taipei and New Taipei City, alongside the rollout of 5,767 cooling stations nationwide, he said.
Big data are being used to identify heat-vulnerable hotspots and guide resource allocation, while an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven system forecasts extreme indoor temperatures for older people living alone three to six hours in advance, he added.
Urban afforestation would be used to help lower temperatures, with an inter-ministerial effort to build “cool cities,” Peng said.
The government plans to establish the National Climate Change Adaptation Resilience Center to link climate research with policy governance, he said.
At the meeting, lawmakers also proposed their own suggestions.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Yue-chin (林月琴) raised concerns about the impacts of climate change on vulnerable groups, urging greater attention to climate justice.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Ching-hui (陳菁徽) focused on the ministry’s 10-year urban afforestation plan, saying that inter-ministerial coordination must be carefully planned.
KMT Legislator Liao Wei-hsiang (廖偉翔) pointed to concentration risks in the aquavoltaics sector and syndicated bank loans, saying that this year’s renewable energy targets might fall short.
DPP Legislator Ngalim Tiunn (張雅琳) called for schools, playgrounds and sports facilities to incorporate shading and cooling measures to reduce the risk of heat-related harm.
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