Taiwan in the Climate Crisis: What’s Missing in the Policies and How Can We Take Action?
TWYCC activists participated in a discussion about Taiwan’s future in the climate crisis.
On September 15, TWYCC members Jasmine Wu and Pin-Han Huang participated in a discussion on Taiwan’s future in the climate crisis. Alongside Professor Chia-wei Chao of the Taiwan Climate Action Network and climate activist Danny Lee Leiton, they discussed a variety of important questions pertaining to the climate crisis and climate activism in Taiwan. The event was hosted at Daybreak 破曉咖啡 in collaboration with New Bloom magazine.
All panelists agreed that Taiwan is poised to face worsening climate conditions, impacting all sectors of Taiwanese society. When asked about the current climate crisis in Taiwan, Professor Chao highlighted the severity of Taiwan’s situation compared to other Asian countries; Taiwan has already experienced a 1.6°C temperature increase in 2020 compared to 1910. As a result, Taiwan’s summers have become longer, while the length of winter has halved since 1980 (from around 80 to 40 days). In addition, the warming in Taiwan has altered rainfall patterns, such that the spring-fall period has decreased, and the distribution of rainfall has become more uneven. Changes in rainfall patterns increase the chance and severity of flooding and droughts in Taiwan. One example of this consequence is the 2021 drought in Taiwan, which significantly affected the agriculture and semiconductor sectors.
In response to these developments, the Taiwanese government announced its Pathway to Net-Zero and 12 Key Strategies in 2022 and passed the Climate Change Response Act (CCRA) in 2023. The panelists welcomed some aspects of these new policies. In the case of Taiwan’s Net-Zero Pathway, Professor Chao recognized the government’s effort to set an ambitious near-term target, interdisciplinary strategies, and a significant increase in annual climate change budget (from 2.5 billion NTD in the past to 100 billion NTD after the policy). In the case of the CCRA, which succeeds the Greenhouse Gas Management Act, Pin-Han acknowledged the government’s progress in not only including mitigation but also adaptation and climate justice in the act. However, when asked about what is missing in the policies, Professor Chao argued that it is unclear how the government is using the 12 Strategies to address the emissions in the manufacturing sector, which constitutes more than 50% of Taiwan’s total greenhouse gas emissions. With regard to the CCRA and the carbon levy, Pin-Han pointed out the government’s inadequate plan to address SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) in this transition, even though SMEs constitute over 98% of the total number of enterprises in Taiwan. Jasmine also pointed out limitations in the usage of the carbon levy, which is only designated for mitigation measures and developing low-carbon technology and not for other social aspects, such as climate justice.
The event concluded with a segment on climate activism in Taiwan. Jasmine stressed the importance of creating communities of action, for instance in the form of university-based climate clubs. Citing studies showing that 85% of the Taiwanese population is concerned about climate change, Professor Chao identified “climate delay-ism”, not climate denialism, as Taiwan’s biggest obstacle to climate action. Relatedly, Pin-han pointed out the importance of conveying the benefits of taking action against climate change to the public so that more people would be willing to participate in climate action.
Regarding the upcoming presidential elections, the panelists expressed hope that all candidates would present more comprehensive plans on how to address the climate crisis and achieve rapid decarbonization. How prominently climate change will feature as a topic in the political debate, will, however, depend on pressure from media, movements, and the people.
As for how people can take action to make changes, Danny encouraged the participants to start by talking about climate change with family and friends and join a protest if possible. Additionally, Professor Chao invited those who are interested to take part in the Taiwan Climate Action Exposition (TWCAE) held from Oct. 20 to Oct. 22 and listen to the debate between presidential candidates on the climate issue. Similarly, Pin-Han urged political participation by showing support for candidates who work for more ambitious climate policies. A first step that anyone could take would be to join TWYCC or other groups and collectives concerned with climate action in Taiwan and internationally.
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Authors: Ann Wu, Elias KönigRelevant TWYCC articles:
