President Tsai meets with environmental groups on Earth Day

Taipei : President Tsai Ing-wen met with representatives from 14 environmental groups in Taiwan on Thursday, Earth Day, promising to work with the private sector to achieve the country’s climate goals.

In her opening address to the representatives, Tsai said that achieving carbon neutrality is a goal that Taiwan shares with the world, and one the country is actively working towards.

She also highlighted her administration’s work in supporting the development of green energy, which has led to solar power capacity growing over five-fold in Taiwan, and the country’s first offshore wind energy farm becoming fully operational, she said.

As the country charts a path towards zero carbon emissions and strives to achieve a consensus on the Datan liquefied natural gas terminal project, Tsai said she wants the government to work with the private sector to find the best solutions.

The 14 environmental groups that attended the meeting this year said they presented 51 suggestions to Tsai, the main focus being the need to establish a timeline to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and hold a conference on land rights.

On the carbon emissions front, Taiwan should introduce amendments to the current climate law and put into place a carbon pricing system, said Liu Jyh-jian, head of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union.

Hsu Shih-jung, chairman of the group Treasure Our Land, Taiwan, said the government has expropriated numerous pieces of land across the country, forcing people to move away from their homes.

Hsu said he would like the government to host a national conference on the issue, as the last one took place in 1990.

Source: focustaiwan