Taiwan begins to plan for zero emissions by 2050

Taiwan has begun to assess how it can reach zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, President Tsai Ing-wen said on April 22, after environmental groups criticized the government for not doing enough to fight climate change.

Taiwan is keen to show it is a responsible member of the international community, though it is excluded from most international bodies and treaties due to pressure from Beijing, which considers the island its own territory.

On Wednesday, the European Union clinched a deal on a landmark climate change law that puts new, tougher targets on emissions at the heart of its policymaking, to steer it towards zero net emissions by 2050.

China has also said it aims for a 2030 peak of carbon emissions, on the way to becoming carbon-neutral by 2060.

Speaking at an Earth Day event in Taipei, Tsai said that Taiwan cannot fall behind the international trend.

“At the moment many countries are discussing the target of zero net emissions transformation by 2050, and Taiwan is actively planning it,” she said.

The government had begun to assess and plan a possible path to reach a net zero emissions target by 2050, Tsai added.

Taiwan’s previous target, set in 2015, was to halve emissions between 2005 and 2050.

Original Source: https://ocean-energyresources.com/2021/04/24/taiwan-begins-to-plan-for-zero-emissions-by-2050/