Tsai Ing-wen announced the "emission reduction target", Taiwan media: the important thing is to "do" but only "speak"
[Global Times reporter Cheng Dong] April 22 is Earth Day.
In order to cooperate with the United States, Tsai Ing-wen set out emission reduction targets, but was slapped in the face violently by the island because he only stayed verbally.
Taiwan’s "United Daily News" stated on the 22nd that US President Biden is expected to announce at the climate summit that "greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by at least half within ten years". In addition to expressing his determination to fight climate change, he also hopes to re-lead the global fight against climate change.
On the 22nd, the American Association in Taiwan (AIT) held a forum. Tsai Ing-wen said in his speech that the United States plays an important role in global carbon reduction issues, and the Taiwan authorities are also actively deploying possible paths to "reach the net zero emission target by 2050." The department must propose a systematic carbon reduction strategy.
She stated on Facebook that last year, Japan, South Korea, and China all proposed the target time for net zero emissions, and then our important partner, the United States, will play a key role in the global carbon reduction issue. It is the goal of the whole world and the goal of Taiwan"; Taiwan is actively deploying, in addition to the stable energy transition, including manufacturing, transportation, housing, and agriculture, it must also propose a systematic carbon reduction strategy.
The Democratic Progressive Party announced on the 22nd that it has actively promoted the energy transition in the past five years and is advancing in the direction of "non-nuclear, reducing coal, increasing gas, and developing green." It has increased the amount of natural gas power generation by 20%, and reduced the air pollution emissions of thermal power generation by 55%, which is more effective than that of the Ma Ying-jeou period.
But is the actual situation really like what the DPP authorities preached? "Legislative" Wu Yizheng said on the 22nd that according to 2019 data, Taipower ranked "Taiwan's largest carbon emissions company" by about 70%, but the Tsai Ing-wen authorities increased thermal power generation and reduced nuclear power generation before renewable energy reached the standard. It is still unknown whether the carbon reduction target will be achieved in the future, but the air deterioration is predictable. It is simply “wrong energy policy is more terrible than corruption!” said KMT Chairman Jiang Qichen. Tsai Ing-wen declared in his first inauguration speech in 2016. The “Executive Yuan” set up a dedicated “Energy and Carbon Reduction Office”, but it held a meeting every three months in principle from the beginning, and will only have a hurried meeting on December 30 at the end of 2020. There is only perfunctory and lack of action. . Ironically, Tsai Ing-wen was still mentioning again in his New Year’s Day talks this year that “find out the climate governance path that best suits Taiwan’s future sustainable development”. “It shows that the Tsai government’s policies in the face of extreme climates are still stuck in neat rhetoric. , The actual performance is still disappointing." In the "Climate Change Performance Indicators" released at the end of last year, Taiwan ranked 57th, only a slight improvement of two from 2019. Among the four evaluation indicators, apart from climate policy, Taiwan has made no progress in the three indicators of greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, and energy use. Former New Taipei Mayor Zhu Lilun said that advanced regions have reduced thermal power generation in order to reduce carbon emissions. However, Taiwan’s thermal power generation ratio continues to increase, accounting for 82% of the total power generation in 2020. “With full firepower, Taiwan’s performance in international climate change Ranked fifth from the bottom in the competition." There is also public opinion on the island that Tsai Ing-wen previously told the people of Taiwan to realize a "coal-free home" and emphasized clean coal. Now the smog situation in central China is serious. "You don't have to wait for it to get dark. Open your eyes and it will be dark."
On the 22nd, Tsai Ing-wen met with environmental groups in the "Presidential Palace" as usual. This year, 14 representatives submitted 51 suggestions. Two of the biggest common demands were to formulate a "2050 net-zero carbon schedule and roadmap" and Convene a conference on land issues that has been in violation of 30 years.
"Taiwan Environmental Protection Alliance" chairman Liu Zhi insisted that "2050 net zero carbon emissions" is the consensus of the whole people, and it is also a goal that advanced regions in the world believe to work together, including the United States, China, South Korea, and Japan. Taiwan should catch up. pace.
"Zhongguang" chairman Zhao Shaokang held a press conference "three questions about Tsai Ing-wen", including "the goal of 20% green energy is now only 5%, and the term of office is only 3 years how to reach the standard" and so on.
He said that Taiwan ranked fifth in the "Climate Change Performance Indicators" appraisal, losing to the mainland, which is really unsightly.
Moreover, Taiwan’s per capita carbon emissions are much higher than that of most developed regions in the world. The Tsai authorities should not be afraid of affecting votes.
Lianhe News.com commented on the 22nd that there are frequent international carbon reduction wars, and half of Taiwan’s six major “municipalities” have declared that they will stand shoulder to shoulder with the international community and fulfill their carbon reduction responsibilities so that Taiwan will not be too ugly. However, Tsai Ing-wen and the “administrative” Dean Su Zhenchang has been vague about this vision, and it seems difficult to empathize with the anxiety of the corporate world.
The media bluntly stated that for carbon reduction, it is not just "saying", the most important thing is "doing", "because if we fail to do so, the world will face severe climate change challenges."