The Republic of China—Striding Into Its 2nd Century
Protector of Mother Nature
Black-faced spoonbills, an endangered species, spend the winter in the Tainan area each year. (Lu Ju-rong, courtesy of the Tourism Bureau)
The year 1987 saw an unheralded, and at first little appreciated, development: The Republic of China government’s environment-related missions were consolidated under the newly established, Cabinet-level Environmental Protection Administration (EPA). In retrospect, this marked the beginning of a major society-wide drive to preserve Taiwan’s natural heritage that is still gaining momentum more than two decades later.
To protect the nation’s ecosystems, some 20 percent of Taiwan’s total land area has been set aside under a multi-tiered system of protected regions comprising eight national parks, 20 nature preserves, nine forest reserves, 17 wildlife refuges and 34 major wildlife habitats. And in urban areas, local governments and civic groups have devoted greater resources to the creation of new parks, garden squares and other green areas.
Since 1996, approximately 1,700 hectares of trees have been planted and over 280 kilometers of bicycle paths have been laid out. It is estimated that these actions alone have prevented the emission, or resulted in the purification or sequestration, of more than 18,000 tonnes (metric tons) of ozone, over 900 tonnes of airborne particulate pollutants and nearly 42,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year. Over the next few years, it is expected that an additional 60,000 hectares of forest areas will be created as part of the “i-Taiwan 12 Projects” initiated by the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou. Plans are also afoot in communities around the island to greatly expand bicycle paths.
Sheltered from pollution and commercial development, the Fata-an Wetland in Hualien has preserved much of its pristine beauty. (Hao Chen-tai)
In their efforts to transform Taiwan into a “green island,” Taiwan’s people have made tremendous progress in recycling and moving toward the goal of zero waste. The amount of garbage produced per capita each day reached a historical high in 1997, at 1.14 kilograms. By the end of 2009, that figure had been cut by 56 percent, to 0.5 kilogram per person per day. Whereas in 1989 the percentage of people who properly discarded refuse stood at about 60 percent, it had risen to nearly 100 percent in 2009. And between 2000 and 2009, the overall recycling rate increased from less than 10 percent to 45.49 percent—higher than that of many advanced nations, including France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In some categories of recycling, Taiwan is undisputedly the world champion. In 1993, within four short years of the EPA’s launch of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle recycling, for example, the recycling rate rocketed to 90 percent.
A growing number of bicycle trails around the island benefit both public health and the environment. (Jimmy Lin)
Taiwan is also moving forward on the legal front, banning the sale and import of incandescent bulbs from 2012, mandating class time for students on environment-related themes and working to shift the financial onus for recycling appliances to manufacturers, thus encouraging the use of more recycling-friendly designs.
With respect to air quality, a wide variety of public- and private-sector initiatives have resulted in notable yearly improvements. “Poor air-quality” days (when the pollutant standards index recorded by islandwide monitoring stations exceeds 100) in 2009 accounted for only 2.87 percent of all days—the lowest figure since 2003.
Steady progress is also being made in restoring the purity and beauty of the nation’s rivers. Within a few short years, for example, a crash program executed by the Kaohsiung City Government transformed the once highly polluted Love River into a lovely waterway that has become the focal point of leisure activities.
Wind turbines installed in coastal areas are an important part of Taiwan’s efforts to develop renewable energy resources. (GA Photos Group)
An increasingly significant focus of environmental work with important implications for sustainable economic development is the promotion of “green energy.” About 200 sets of wind turbines have been installed by the government and private firms on the west coast of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, areas seen as “gold mines” for wind energy. Data compiled by the Global Wind Energy Council shows that, in 2009, Taiwan’s installed wind power capacity grew by 78 megawatts over the previous year to 436 megawatts, the fourth-highest in Asia.
Swift progress can also be expected in the installation of solar cells, as solar-energy equipment manufacturing is becoming a “star” industry in Taiwan. As of December 2009, 6.4 megawatts’ capacity of solar cells had been installed at locations around the island, and, by 2012, 20,000 rooftops will bear solar panels at the end of the first stage of a project to bring solar power to 100,000 buildings nationwide.
Built by Taiwan Power Company, this solar power facility in Kenting makes use of the ample sunshine the region enjoys. (GA Photos Group)
Use of cleaner-burning fuels is another main focus. Since 2007, all of Kaohsiung City’s public buses have been required to run on a domestically produced biodiesel blend known as “B5,” which is composed of 5-percent biodiesel and 95-percent petrodiesel. Kaohsiung is the second city in Asia to have introduced such a measure, after Kyoto, Japan. In July 2008, Taiwan became the first country in Asia to require all diesel vehicles to use “B1”—a 1-percent biodiesel blend. In June 2010, the government raised the bar again by doubling the required percentage of biodiesel additive, making “B2” the standard fuel for all diesel-powered vehicles. Programs have also been launched to encourage people to use low-pollution vehicles such as electric-gas hybrid cars, vehicles that burn low-carbon fuels like LPG (liquefied petroleum gas, consisting mostly of propane) and electric-powered motor scooters. By February 2011, 46 LPG stations had been set up around Taiwan.
Taiwan’s government and civic organizations are taking action to make significant contributions to scientific understanding of global warming and reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions. With the government’s financial backing, and in cooperation with the European Union-funded IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System) project and with Taiwan-based China Airlines and Evergreen Marine Corp., atmospheric scientists at Taiwan’s National Central University have launched a multi-year Pacific Greenhouse Gases Measurement (PGGM) program aimed at collecting data on CO2 and other greenhouse-gas concentrations in the atmosphere above the northern Pacific. The PGGM data supplements that of IAGOS, which lacks data-gathering capability in the northern Pacific. Taiwan hosted the Third International Workshop on PGGM in September 2010.
Ducks do their bit to promote organic farming, devouring weeds and insects and removing the need for pesticides. (Jimmy Lin)
Based on the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” adopted in the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Framework of Taiwan’s Sustainable Energy Policy approved by the Executive Yuan in June 2008 outlines plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 2005 levels by 2020, and to 2000 levels by 2025. Under the scheme, a proposed Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act would create an emissions permit system, require inventory verification and reporting, as well as establish emission performance standards. Ultimately, a domestic cap-and-trade system will be introduced. The implementation timeframe and standards will be revised accordingly to keep pace with international developments.
On another front, EPA officials regularly take part in technical conferences related to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). In line with the convention, Taiwan has enacted the Environmental Agents Control Act and the Toxic Chemical Substances Control Act. The former prohibits the use of POPs, while the latter limits the production, sale, use, import and export of 259 toxic chemicals. Companies dealing with such chemicals must obtain permits from the EPA and are required to keep records of the amounts they have handled and discharged.
These and countless other developments truly demonstrate Taiwan’s commitment to environmental protection. Its people and government look forward to making still greater contributions to humanity’s common cause of protecting the Earth’s environment and adopting more sustainable lifestyles.
