As the world grapples with the question of how global warming can be contained and how the transition toward green energy can be facilitated, Taipei has developed innovative ways and unique solutions to contribute to the island democracy's clean energy goals.
The private sector as well as government organs are striving to achieve the Taiwan's net-zero goals with detail outlines and ambitious programs, setting an example for many countries around the world.
“The long-term vision of Taiwan's 2050 net-zero emission transformation will prompt economic growth, stimulate private investments, create green jobs, and enhance energy independence and social well-being,” Environmental Protection Administration Minister Tzi-Chin Chang told a group of reporters in Taipei.
“These will be achieved by building on the competitive transition strategies and governance foundation, which are circulatively sustainable, resilient and safe. It makes net-zero transformation a new driving force for Taiwan's development.”
Although Taiwan's gross domestic product (GDP) has grown by 79% since 2005, greenhouse gas emission intensity decreased by 45% as the rate of carbon dioxide emissions from energy combustion stayed flat in the 14 years since 2005.
Taiwanese Leader Tsai Ing-wen declared in April 2021 that Taiwan is plotting a path to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and in March this year the Executive Yuan, Taiwan’s highest administrative organ, published Taiwan’s "Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050."
Taiwan has set four main strategies to reach the 2050 net zero transition, energy, industrial, lifestyle and social, to be achieved through net zero and negative emission technology R&D as well as climate legislation, namely the regulation of carbon pricing and green finance.
Taiwan aims to improve the exterior design, energy efficiency and appliance energy efficiency standards for buildings. Regarding transportation, a change in travel behavior, reduced demand for transportation and electro-mobility are sought. In terms of industry, energy efficiency, fuel switching and innovative technologies are at the heart of the strategy while scaling up renewable energy, developing new energy technologies, energy storage and power grid upgrades are the aims in terms of electricity.
By 2030, Taiwan set the goal for all urban public buses and official cars to be electric, while 30% of car sales will be electric, which will reach 100% by 2040.
By 2050, 100 per cent of new buildings and more than 85 per cent of existing buildings will be nearly zero carbon buildings.
Taiwan plans to achieve a lifestyle transition in which even the individual can contribute to the island democracy's climate goals by using rather than owning, recycling, reasonable buying, efficient production sales and delivery of products or avoiding unnecessary commuting.
To build a zero-carbon energy system, Taipei will maximize renewable energy through expanding mature wind and solar PV deployment, with cutting-edge geothermal and ocean energy. Furthermore, it will build a zero-carbon fuel supply system by providing hydrogen, ammonia and biomass fuel for industry and transportation.
Improving energy system resilience is also of high importance for Taiwan as the expansion of renewable energy grid infrastructure as well as expanding energy-storage facilities for renewable energy will be prioritized.
The Taiwanese government has pledged to spend NT$900 billion ($30.7 billion) by 2030 toward reaching its net zero goals. By 2050, renewable energy should account for more than 60% of Taipei's power supply.
2022 marks the 35th anniversary since the establishment of the EPA, the main body tasked to oversee Taiwan's net-zero goals, while local governments are also urged to establish climate committees.
Yet, one of the biggest challenges Taiwan faces is its exclusion from most global bodies because of objections from China, which considers it one of its provinces and not a separate country.
Saying that this hinders Taipei from participating in global discussions on climate issues, Chang highlighted: “It is difficult for Taiwan to be updated on and engage in the latest climate action promptly. This gap will lead to a vacancy in global climate governance.”
Chang underlined that net zero can be realized only by jointly working together and said he hoped the international community would support Taiwan in contributing to the global net zero transition.
The warming to date has unleashed a crescendo of deadly and costly extreme weather, from heat waves and drought to flooding and tropical storms made more destructive by rising seas.
To achieve the ambitious Paris target, global greenhouse emissions must drop 45% by 2030, and be cut to net zero by mid-century, with any residual emissions compensated by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
To be on track for a net-zero world, emissions would have to plummet by 7% annually over the next eight years.
To put that in perspective: in 2020, with much of the world's economy on lockdown, emissions fell by only 6%.
Chang indicated that the progress China said it achieved in terms of climate goals might not be as good as mentioned by the government, while the pollution of China also from time to time affected Taiwan.
“Due to the geographic proximity between China, which has been the world's top carbon polluter for about 15 years, and Taiwan, sometimes the air pollution from China, especially in winter, affects air quality in Taiwan.”
Being asked whether Taiwan is dependent on China for technology for climate transition, Chang said that Taiwan produced its own device equipment including its own solar power system.
“When it comes to the development of renewable energy in Taiwan, starting in 2015, we started to focus on the development of solar power and now the solar power generation has reached nine gigawatts this year. Also, in terms of offshore wind power, we have established 200 wind turbines,” he added.
Chang said that Taiwan has the potential to become the green energy development center of Asia.
“In terms of the development of renewable energy in Taiwan, the biggest challenge we face is that we do not have enough space, so there is limited area for solar power, that is why we are developing offshore wind power.”
He said that industries have great willingness and potential to join international cooperation to jointly cut carbon emissions.
"By developing new technologies and models, the semiconductor industry is actively endeavoring to reduce energy and resource usage in production. It also adopts various smart applications of electronic products with the continuous evolution of semiconductor innovation and promotes global energy conservation," Chang pointed out.
Taiwan produces the vast majority of the world's most advanced chips and is home to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker and supplier to major companies like Apple Inc.
Chips are crucial for building everything from iPhones and washing machines to cars and fighter jets.
Delta Electronics is a Taiwanese electronics manufacturing company that aims to provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions to contribute to local and global energy efficiency. A spokesperson for the company said that 95% of all the company's products are to save energy, while Delta also spares 8-9% of its annual sales revenue for research and development to continue its innovative edge.
Delta, which has also an office in Istanbul, offers some of the most energy-efficient power products in the industry, including switching power supplies with an efficiency of over 90%, telecom power with up to 98% and PV inverters with up to 99.2% efficiency. From 2010 to 2021, 35.9 kWh of electricity was saved by global clients using Delta's efficiency products.
Another institution contributing to Taipei's development as well as climate goals is the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), committed to driving industrial development, creating economic value and enhancing social well-being. Within the scope of Taiwan's 2050 net zero targets, ITRI launched the 2030 Technology Strategy and Roadmap to address market demands and global trends, focusing on smart living, quality health and a sustainable environment
Area for bilateral cooperation
Taiwan’s strategy and programs to achieve net zero in 2050 provide an exemplary road map for many countries and could also serve as an area for cooperation and exchange of know-how and ideas with Türkiye, which similarly draws a road map for its goals.
Chang said that bilateral cooperation with Taiwan is important so Taiwan can contribute to climate change issues.
Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum recently announced that Ankara is considering implementing a comprehensive law to fight against climate change and that Parliament is expected to pass the country's climate law this year.
Türkiye unveiled a revised plan at the COP27 climate summit for cutting its carbon emissions.
"We have updated our nationally determined contribution," Kurum told the U.N. climate conference, referring to the national plans for reducing greenhouse gases submitted by nearly 200 countries under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
"Our emissions will peak by 2038 at the latest," the minister said. The new nationally determined contributions (NDCs) call for Türkiye to reduce its emissions by 41% by 2030 compared with what those emissions would have if they continued to grow at a rate of 8% per year. The new plan had yet to be formally submitted to include in the official U.N. Climate Change registry of the NDCs.
Türkiye's emissions stood at 530 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2020, representing a 1% share of global emissions. The electricity sector accounted for 24.1% of total emissions followed by the manufacturing sector at 21.2%. Transportation recorded 15.8%, buildings held a 13.8% share and waste 11.1%. The agricultural sector was responsible for 9.3% of emissions and the remaining 4.7% stemmed from the shipping, oil, and gas sectors in Türkiye.
The country has ratified the Paris climate agreement and is focusing on conforming to the European Union Green Deal as it plans to implement several projects across an array of fields from transportation to industry, agriculture and trade as of 2023.
