After being briefed on June 21 about the National Climate Change Summit held June 5-6, Premier Sean Chen praised the Environmental Protection Administration's (EPA) "Public Cafe Dialogues," calling them a model for communication with citizens that other agencies should follow.
Chen also said that climate change is the most severe environmental problem facing humanity and a pressing issue for the international community, so Taiwan should address it not only with short-term carbon reduction measures and adjustments but also through a long-term strategic plan, which he asked the EPA to define and explain to other agencies.
"We can turn this crisis into an opportunity for sustainable development and conserve the environment and natural resources for our future generations," he said.
According to the EPA, President Ma had promised to convene the National Climate Change Summit when he met with environmentalists on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day (April 22, 2010). In the two years before the conference, the EPA held four Public Cafe Dialogues in different areas of Taiwan as well as an Overall Consensus Dialogue in Taipei on May 19, 2012. Their purpose was to break away from the usual model of government representatives and academics making decisions, to allow citizens of all backgrounds to contribute to the discussion and to ensure that future policies would conform to public opinion.