Government Aims to Reduce Carbon Emissions, Plans Rooftop Solar Panels in National Parks

The government intends to lower carbon emissions and has recently instructed various ministries to assess their carbon reduction efforts, aiming to compile and report to the Executive Yuan next month. The Ministry of the Interior, overseeing the housing sector, plans to promote rooftop solar power on buildings under the National Park Service and in social housing. However, the plan to install solar panels in national parks has raised concerns among environmental groups and legislators.

Chao Jia-wei, Director of the Taiwan Climate Action Network Research Center, pointed out that the Ministry of the Interior's plan to develop rooftop solar power in national parks is clearly avoiding the real issue. To intensify carbon reduction efforts, the standard for installing solar panels on buildings should be lowered to those with an area of 300 square meters, requiring rooftop solar installation; otherwise, too few buildings will be affected. Kuomintang legislator Hung Meng-kai stated that the areas of national parks and social housing are too limited, making immediate effects unlikely.

Ministries Assess Carbon Reduction, Report to Presidential Office in October

The Lai administration is striving for net-zero emissions by 2050. The third-phase greenhouse gas control targets have yet to be announced. The Executive Yuan believes past net-zero measures were insufficient and has recently requested the Ministry of Environment to set total emission standards from the top down, based on electricity demand and industry forecasts. Meanwhile, ministries are to strengthen their carbon reduction efforts from the bottom up, aiming to compile reports to the Presidential Office in October.

Net-zero emissions are a key focus of the Lai administration's "National Hope Project" and a central topic for the Presidential Office's Climate Change Response Committee. In 2022, Taiwan announced the "2050 Net-Zero Emissions Pathway and Strategy Overview," with a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) enhancement target for 2030 of 24% ±1%. However, according to the national greenhouse gas emission inventory released by the Ministry of Environment in June, net emissions in 2022 decreased by only 1.77% compared to the base year of 2005, failing to meet expected targets.

Strengthening Net-Zero Transition with Dual Strategies

According to the Climate Change Response Act, Taiwan revises its emission control targets every five years and must propose them two years before implementation. The third-phase (2026-2030) targets were originally scheduled for mid-year release but are being re-evaluated due to adjustments in electricity supply and demand to accommodate AI and semiconductor development.

The Executive Yuan has recently convened consecutive meetings of the Sustainability Committee and the "Climate Change and Net-Zero Transition" project team. According to reports, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun, who also serves as the deputy convener of the Presidential Office's Climate Change Response Committee, pointed out in the meeting that past efforts were inadequate. She requested all ministries to adopt dual strategies of "adaptation" and "reduction" to enhance carbon reduction efforts without setting limits. The Ministry of Environment is responsible for setting the national total emissions and confirming whether there is double counting among ministries and if calculation bases are consistent, with preliminary compilation expected in October.

Social Housing Takes the Lead; Photovoltaic Draft to Be Announced by Year-End

Carbon reduction is divided into six major sectors: energy, manufacturing, residential and commercial, transportation, agriculture, and environment. The Ministry of the Interior will strengthen net-zero efforts in building construction, with social housing taking the lead. By the end of 2032, cumulative social housing units will reach 250,000, estimating an annual carbon reduction of about 112,300 tons. They plan to announce the draft of the "Standards for Installing Solar Photovoltaic Power Generation Equipment in New Buildings" by the end of this year at the latest, requiring new buildings over 990 square meters (approximately 300 ping) to mandatorily install 1 kW of solar panels for every 20 square meters.

Minister of the Interior Liu Shih-fang also intends to enhance carbon sequestration in national parks, wetlands, and coasts to achieve balance and establish a national carbon sink plan, which will be published quarterly on the official website. Buildings under the National Park Service will promote rooftop solar power.

Source:https://udn.com/news/story/11662/8215193