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Integrating Taiwan's

Strengths into Global

Climate Action

Minister Wei Kuo-Yen

EPA Minister Wei Kuo-Yen Environmental Protection Administration
Photo by Huang Chung-hsin
Executive Yuan, Republic of China (Taiwan)

cientists inform us that mo- remain lower than the historical equity of all countries around the
dern industrial development peak in 2007. Similarly, Taiwan's world, the mitigating actions being
S has caused carbon dioxide emissions intensity continues to taken fall well short of what is requi-
concentrations around the world to decline, dropping from 0.0197kg red. As far as Taiwan is concerned,
exceed the carrying capacity of na- CO2/dollar to 0.0163kg CO2/ dollar there is no escaping that we are all
tural ecosystems. This has, however, in 2013. This underlines the positive in the same boat and should there-
allowed us to witness what Adam effect that government policies and fore be helping one another. Taiwan
Smith expounded in his Theory of education are having on decoupling is heavily energy dependent and has
Moral Sentiments, which is that greenhouse gas emissions from eco- a limited environmental carrying
humans have a natural tendency nomic growth. capacity, so it is imperative that we
to be sympathetic and do, in fact, receive guidance on how best to ful-
care about the sustainability of the Climate change stands as one of fill our commitment to reducing car-
natural world. On September 23, this century's most important poli- bon emissions.
2014, with the 2009 Copenhagen tical and economic focal points,
climate negotiations crisis and the a core issue affecting internatio- Through government restructur-
20th anniversary of the Rio Decla- nal politics, trade, and society. Its ing, Taiwan is currently setting up
ration behind them, world leaders impact is broad and complex, and its Ministry of Environment and
gathered at the United Nations Cli-
mate Summit in New York hoping to
break the deadlock in climate nego-
tiations and compel all parties to
be more aggressive in their actions.
International negotiations on cli-
mate change have now entered a
critical stage in the run up to the
signing of a new global agreement
at the Paris Climate Conference in
December 2015.

Responding to climate change is a
long and daunting task replete with
both challenges and opportunities.
In the Republic of China (Taiwan),
due to the government's ambitious
policies to promote energy conser- EPA Minister Wei, second left, visits a carbon storage site in Australia. Courtesy of EPA
vation and carbon reduction, carbon
dioxide emissions from fossil fuels underpins all social, economic, and Natural Resources to better focus
posted negative growth in 2008, for environmental considerations as its efforts on pollution prevention,
the first time since 1990, and have they relate to sustainable develop- climate change adjustment, river
more or less stabilized in recent ment. However, given that climate basin management, disaster preven-
years. Although emissions in 2013 change has such a direct bearing tion, and nature conservation, ushe-
totaled 250.3 million tons, a slight on the national development, com- ring in a new era for environmental
increase of 0.67% over 2012, they petitiveness, and intergenerational protection. The aim is to reestablish

20 International