President Lai presides over third meeting of National Climate Change Committee
On the afternoon of January 23, President Lai Ching-te presided over the third meeting of the National Climate Change Committee. In his opening statement, the president indicated that members of the administration had put forward a draft proposal for the meeting which would set Taiwan’s new 2032 and 2035 emissions reduction targets of 32±2 percent and 38±2 percent, respectively, compared with 2005. The president said we have to take aggressive domestic action based on our 2032 target, and based on our 2035 target, keep pace with international carbon reduction efforts, and do our part to contribute to global climate governance.
President Lai stated that to achieve national greenhouse gas reduction targets, we will need active contribution from the government, corporations, schools at all levels, and civil society. He expressed hope that government agencies at all levels will establish cooperative ties with a wide variety of groups and organizations, including schools, communities, social groups, and media, to carry out broad-ranging, tailored climate change education and promotion. This way, he said, we can build understanding and consensus among all citizens regarding climate change and the transition to net-zero, bring about further behavioral changes, and achieve low-carbon lifestyles.
A translation of President Lai’s opening statement follows:
Today is the third meeting of the National Climate Change Committee. With Lunar New Year coming up in just a few days, I would like first of all to wish everyone a happy new year.
I also want to thank each of the advisors and committee members for actively taking part in working group discussions over the past three-plus months. Thanks to your professional suggestions, we have gradually built consensus, focused on our goals, and made progress in policy.
In this new year, we will continue working together on challenges to ensure that Taiwan can keep marching toward sustainable development.
Just days into 2025, raging wildfires broke out in the Los Angeles area which may become the costliest wildfire disaster in United States history.
The World Meteorological Organization also announced that 2024 was the warmest year on record, with a global mean temperature of over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time. The year 2024 saw multiple heat waves, droughts, torrential rains, windstorms, and other natural disasters. These extreme climate events continually remind us how urgent and necessary it is to adapt to climate change.
For this reason, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is urging all countries to propose their 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) prior to this year’s COP30. Otherwise known as NDCs 3.0, they call for bigger and faster carbon reduction measures.
The COP has been hosted most recently by countries including the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and now Brazil, all of which have announced new carbon reduction commitments along with Japan and the US.
Other countries around the world are scheduled to release their updated NDCs in February, so it is expected that even more countries will follow suit starting next month.
We also need to ask ourselves the following: Can Taiwan maintain a stable foothold amidst the international trend toward carbon reduction, and perhaps even keep pace with the international community? We must be able to answer this question in the affirmative.
In particular, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry plays a very important global role, and our baseball team are world champions. In many areas, we perform quite well. In the eyes of the international community, today’s Taiwan is not the Taiwan of the past. We must be even more proactive as we work to fulfill our international responsibilities.
For this reason, just last month the Ministry of Environment (MOENV) issued the phase three periodic regulatory goals for greenhouse gas emissions, which boost Taiwan’s 2030 NDC target to a reduction of 28±2 percent, with 2005 as the reference year, as compared to the previous NDC target of 24±1 percent.
At our last meeting, I mentioned that we need to set new, more proactive carbon reduction goals for 2032 and 2035. So for today’s meeting, members of the administration have put forward a draft proposal which would set Taiwan’s new 2032 and 2035 NDC targets at emissions reductions of 32±2 percent and 38±2 percent, respectively, compared with 2005.
We have to take aggressive domestic action based on our 2032 NDC target. Then, based on our 2035 target, we must keep pace with international carbon reduction efforts, and do our part to contribute to global climate governance.
I want to emphasize that these targets were set only after taking a pragmatic inventory. During this time, under the leadership of Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君), the Executive Yuan National Council for Sustainable Development’s Net Zero Emissions Transition Taskforce has held intensive meetings and discussions with various government agencies as well as experts and scholars. They first reviewed and optimized carbon reduction plans proposed independently by ministries and agencies through a bottom-up approach, but found that reduction levels were still insufficient.
The taskforce therefore decided to conduct a top-down approach, establishing flagship carbon reduction projects for six major sectors to further increase reduction levels. The voluntary bottom-up plans of different government agencies, plus the top-down macro focus of the Executive Yuan, were combined to produce the new carbon reduction targets.
This is the beta version of Taiwan’s NDC 3.0. Perhaps some people will feel it doesn’t go far enough, or that it goes too far. However, we took inventory for the plan in a responsible manner, and put the targets forward very pragmatically. Moving ahead, the government will, in accordance with law, continue to communicate with all sectors of society and build a broader consensus to ensure even more comprehensive carbon reduction plans.
To achieve national greenhouse gas reduction targets, we will need active contribution from the government, corporations, schools at all levels, and civil society. In addition to government agencies using their bottom-up approach to continue adding depth to existing carbon reduction targets, it is important for the Executive Yuan to take its top-down approach in promoting flagship carbon reduction projects, which will rely on the following six major innovative mainstays: technological innovation, financial support, carbon pricing, regulatory adjustment, green-collar professionals, and community-driven approaches. These will act as accelerators that drive lifestyle adjustments in areas including food, clothing, housing, and transportation.
In addition, climate change education is also very important. It must be carried out at the national level in order for it to be set up throughout all of society and provide a consensual basis regarding the active pursuit of net-zero and climate adaptation.
I also want to ask that the MOENV and the Ministry of Education, in accordance with the Climate Change Response Act, actively plan and comprehensively promote sustainable development-oriented climate change education, and engage in dialogue with youth. This adds to the nation’s capabilities and lays the foundation for Taiwan’s sustainable future.
Transitioning to a net-zero future is a shared goal for Taiwan and the entire world, and it is also a shared responsibility for the sake of future generations and a sustainable Taiwan. We absolutely must join with people from all walks of life, and all of our nation’s citizens, to act together.
I hope that government agencies at all levels will begin to establish cooperative ties with a wide variety of groups and organizations, including schools, communities, social groups, and media, to carry out broad-ranging, tailored climate change education and promotion. This way, we can build understanding and consensus among all citizens regarding climate change and the transition to net-zero, bring about further behavioral changes, and achieve low-carbon lifestyles.
In closing, I would like to thank you all for your participation and support. I firmly believe that our joint efforts most certainly can enable Taiwan to move stably and pragmatically toward the vision of net-zero emissions by 2050.
Following his statement, President Lai heard a report on proactively setting new carbon reduction targets from Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啓明) and a report on implementing carbon reduction action plans from Deputy Minister of National Development Kao Shien-quey (高仙桂), Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Lien Ching-chang (連錦漳), Deputy Minister of the Interior Tung Chien-hung (董建宏), Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Yen-po (陳彥伯), Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季), and Minister Peng. Afterward, President Lai exchanged views with the committee members regarding the content of the reports.