The administration's conservation policies are bearing fruit, and agencies should build on these gains by broadening green energy measures, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said today after hearing a report by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on carbon reduction measures.
From 2008 to 2012, Taiwan's energy intensity, or energy consumed per dollar of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) generated, fell 3.0 percent per year, an improvement over the 2.2 percent annual decline the nation registered from 2004 to 2007, the premier noted. Furthermore, its carbon intensity, or carbon dioxide emitted per dollar of GDP created, fell 3.4 percent annually over the past five years, a step up from the 2.8 percent decline per year registered from 2004 to 2007.
State plans for energy, industry, transportation, daily living and legislation such as projects of offshore wind power, rooftop solar energy, the smart grid, energy saving technologies in service industry, and low carbon industries and vehicles should be included in the Master Plan of Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction and have their progress regularly verified and reported, the premier said.
Jiang also stated that Taiwan's most competitive industries should use energy-efficient, low-carbon tools, which would drive the development of green industries.
"Meanwhile, novel developments such as the future free economic pilot zones of the Taoyuan Aerotropolis and the new townships peripheral to the Taiwan High Speed Rail network can take the Penghu and Kinmen islands as models of low-carbon, smart communities to emulate," the premier said. He asked the MOEA and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to introduce feasible energy conservation and carbon reduction measures early in the deliberative process for such projects.
In advance of the draft version of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act passing the Legislature, the Environment Protection Administration may, in accordance with the provisions of the Air Pollution Control Act, study the power industry's greenhouse gas emissions standards to formulate the appropriate values for air pollution fees, said Jiang, who advised that national energy supply safety, effects on carbon reduction, and concurrence with energy taxes all be taken into consideration as well.
"Policy promotion must be preceded by thorough discussions and consensus between agencies to reinforce comprehensiveness and consistency among different government policies," the premier concluded.