2025-03-13
After the election two weeks ago, Friedrich Merz, a conservative and former corporate lawyer for Blackrock, is likely to become the next chancellor of Germany. The campaign was dominated by the economy and migration, while the climate crisis played an insignificant role. According to a recent poll, Germans consider the economic situation and migration as most pressing issues, with 43 % and 42 % ranking them as top concerns, respectively. Germany has long been a key advocate for climate action. But according to Simon Franzmann, Professor for Democratic Studies in Göttingen, parties emphasize growth and the promise of wealth as key topics, while climate targets move back on the political agenda. Will Germany still be able to decarbonize its economy in this political setting? And will it still lead on climate policy after turning against its incumbent center-left coalition? Merz Wins, The Center Loses, Right And Left-Wing Parties Gain Votes […]
2025-03-05
With its threats to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement and its “energy dominance” agenda, the return of the Trump administration is set to disrupt the global energy landscape. This marks a sharp contrast to the climate legacy of the Biden administration, characterised by historic investments, governance innovation, and renewed international leadership. The Biden administration has implemented a comprehensive approach to address climate change through legislation, policy coordination, and international leadership. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed in 2022, allocates $370 billion in federal incentives, the largest climate-focused investment globally. The IRA mandates that 40% of the funds benefit disadvantaged communities and enforces strict environmental standards for hydrogen projects. To ensure effective implementation, the Biden administration established the National Climate Task Force, adopting a whole-of-government approach to domestic climate policy coordination. Therefore, climate change is listed as a key pillar of the National Security Strategy and Trade Policy Agenda. The Department […]
2024-07-13
CNA photo July 12, 2024 Taipei, July 12 (CNA) Environmental groups staged a protest at a public meeting hosted by the Ministry of Environment on Friday, saying that the government’s proposed carbon fee mechanisms excessively favor polluters at the expense of the environment. Along with an as-yet-undecided carbon fee rate, the regulations will determine how much enterprises will be required to pay for their carbon emissions. The regulations are scheduled to be announced at the end of August after stakeholder opinions are considered and another public hearing has been held, according to the ministry. At Friday’s meeting, activists from the Environmental Rights Foundation, Taiwan Climate Action Network, Green Citizens’ Action Alliance and Citizen of the Earth expressed their opposition to the current draft regulations and some held a banner with the slogan “Low carbon fees favor enterprises, the people instead pay the climate costs!” The campaigners voiced their opposition to […]
2024-06-05
By Ben Payton Summary Taiwan makes 60% of world’s chips but process uses a lot of energy; TSMC consumed 6.4% of Taiwan’s power in 2021 Digital economy’s energy demands rising; IEA predicts data centers will use 4% of global electricity by 2026 Companies such as Microsoft pushing for low-carbon chip production as supply chain emissions rise Semiconductor firms’ net zero targets beset by geographical limitations and regulatory challenges Nuclear power an option being pushed in Taiwan and in companies like Microsoft and Amazon June 4 – Outside of Taiwan, it is unlikely that many people have heard of the Hsinchu Science Park. But this sprawling campus in the north-west of the island is the home of several companies that have remained largely obscure, at least until recently, yet perform critical roles in the global economy. It is at Hsinchu, and other science parks dotted around Taiwan, that the most advanced semiconductors […]
2024-03-13
By Chen Chia-yi and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan yesterday urged the government to require the installation of solar panels on new buildings that have a surface area of 300m2 or more to bolster the nation’s use of renewable energy. The organization made the statement at a joint news conference in Taipei with other environmental groups to announce the launch of a petition in support of proposed regulatory changes. The Ministry of the Interior is drafting an amendment to the Renewable Energy Development Act (再生能源發展條例) to require photovoltaic panels to be installed on all new or refurbished structures with a surface area equal to or greater than 1,000m2. Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan member Cheng Tai-chin (鄭泰鈞) said the measures would not go far enough, while the foundation’s plan would put solar panels on 80 percent of new roof space. The panels […]
2024-01-10
When it comes to the climate, all three candidates in Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election have emphasised the importance of taking action and committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The main driver behind this mainstreaming of climate policy is the fact that supply chain requirements have made the country’s export competitiveness highly connected to climate performance. Therefore, we must scrutinise the comprehensiveness of each candidate’s policy proposals, rather than solely relying on whether they are climate denialists, to distinguish their positions. Taiwan Climate Action Network (TCAN), a collaborative advocacy platform organised by five NGOs, has thus produced a climate commitment tracker to compare their positions on seven key climate-related policies: (1) 2030 emissions reduction target, (2) carbon pricing strategies, (3) 2030 power mix, (4) renewable energy development plan, (5) industrial decarbonisation, (6) public participation, and (7) just transition. In this article, we will focus specifically on their 2030 pledges, carbon pricing strategies, and just […]
2023-11-11
DUBAI — Taiwan has been blocked from participating in the COP28 climate summit, but a representative it sent to Dubai spoke with VOA on the sidelines of the talks in an exclusive interview. Environment Minister Shieu Fuh-Sheng tells VOA that Taiwan is willing to contribute to a new climate damage fund approved at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai aimed at compensating vulnerable countries in the Global South for damages they’ve experienced. Taiwan may be small with a population of 23.9 million, but its per capita emissions are among the highest in the world, surpassing giant emitters — such as China, Japan and the European Union. Fossil fuels still account for more than 80% of Taiwan’s energy mix, and most of it is imported. With the United Arab Emirates — a developing country under the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) categorization — pledging $100 million […]
2023-01-31
We published a commentary about the 12 key net-zero strategies and the climate change response act on Climate Home News. Due to considerations of reader friendliness and words limitation, the final version of the commentary is quite condensed compared than the original draft. Hence is the complete version: Chia-Wei Chao and Pei-Wei Yang, Taiwan Climate Action Network Taiwan has become an issue of interest in the global climate regime lately due to the geopolitical effects of the US-China climate dialogue. The island itself, however, ranks 22nd globally in terms of territorial CO2 emissions and is among the top five most exposed countries to climate risks — the progress of Taiwan’s climate policies therefore cannot be viewed as a mere footnote to the US-China competition, but an issue that merits great scrutiny on its own. Recently, there are two defining moments in Taiwan climate policy: the announcement of the government’s 12 Key Strategies Action Plan […]
2023-01-31
Published on 31/01/2023, 4:35pm Comment: Taiwan’s industry is responsible for more than half of its emissions but the government’s new climate policies have no specific plan to tackle them. Youth climate activists took to the streets of Taipei in September 2020 (Picture: Li-Wen Chang/Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition) By Chia-Wei Chao and Benjamin Yang When Taiwan makes climate headlines, it’s usually only because of the nation’s impact on the US and China’s climate talks. But the island is important in its own right too. It is the 22nd biggest emitter in the world and is highly at risk from storms and sea level rise. Taiwan’s government has made two big moves on climate recently, but these might not guarantee success unless the country cleans up its biggest source of emissions: industry. Key moves First, on December 28, it allocated US$30 billion for climate investments up to 2030. DR Congo delays rainforest oil auctions Known as the 12 key strategies, this […]
