'Finding a solution to climate change is too important for political differences'

UNFCCC Warsaw 2013

By Colin Stevens

Talks at the United Nations Framework Climate Change Conference in Poland recently ended with delegates reaching a compromise on how to fight global warming.  After 30 hours of deadlock, they approved a pathway to a new global climate treaty in Paris in 2015. The European Union has welcomed the outcome as a step forward in the international fight against climate change. The conference agreed a time plan for countries to table their contributions to reducing or limiting greenhouse gas emissions under a new global climate agreement to be adopted in 2015. It also agreed ways to accelerate efforts to deepen emission cuts over the rest of this decade, and to set up a mechanism to address losses and damage caused by climate change in vulnerable developing countries.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses UNFCCC

Mitigating climate change—the most pressing challenge the international community is facing today—has a direct bearing on the sustainable development of nations around the world, as well as the survival of humankind.

One country which recognises the need to embrace climate change is the Republic of China (Taiwan).  Although not officially a member of the United Nations because of objections from mainland China, and is excluded from official participation in the UNFCCC, Taiwan believes it important that they be included and be allowed to contribute.

The 508-meter-high Taipei 101 was once the tallest building in the world. From Elephant Mountain at night you can enjoy a fantastic view of Taipei 101 and the surrounding Taipei Basin.

Climate change has the potential to cause severe impacts on the living environment. It is the major issue that all members of the international community are currently concerned about it has a deep relevance to Taiwan, as well as to the industries, on attaining sustainable development. The island attributes of Taiwan are what makes it most vulnerable as it faces the impacts of global climate change. According to the current rate of sea-level rise estimated by IPCC, Taiwan's land area will most definitely be impacted. In addition to the threats to survival, if Taiwan cannot participate in the Kyoto mechanisms established by the UNFCCC to relieve economic pressure from the high cost of carbon reduction, Taiwan's industries will lose international competitiveness as well as the incentives to move towards a green industrial structure and low-carbon society.

The current mechanisms and action response to global climate change of the UNFCCC will deeply influence the development of the economy, trade, energy, and environmental protection for generations to come and will lead to form a new global disposition and market. Taiwan should not be absent at this crucial juncture and should instead actively seek for an appropriate status in the global community to enable it to maintain its national interest, security and industrial international competitiveness. On September 21, 2009, Taiwan officially announced its intention to seek official participation in UN Specialized Agencies with priority target set on the "United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change" (UNFCCC). Currently, the relevant government ministries have listed the target as priority task, developing specific approaches and practices and also appealing for support from the international community. It is expected that the joint efforts from all sectors on the implementation of Taiwan's participation in the UNFCCC will substantially enhance Taiwan's international participation and contributions.

The country is making a sincere effort to fight climate change through measures such as reducing carbon emissions. In 2008, the Executive Yuan (the Taiwan government) announced a sustainable energy policy that aims to cut carbon emissions to the 2005 level by 2020, to the 2000 level by 2025, and to half the 2000 level by 2050. The government has followed up the plan with comprehensive and wide-ranging action. Legislation has been passed to support renewable energy and energy management, with lawmakers currently considering a bill targeting greenhouse gases.

Considerable funding is being invested in environmental research—the nation cooperates with the European Union, United States and a number of countries in Southeast Asia to monitor air pollution, for example—and the development of green technology, in which Taiwan has become acknowledged as a world leader in the areas of LED lighting and solar panels. Projects are also emerging to build low-carbon communities and businesses, complete with more green buildings and transportation.

At 3,952 meters, Yushan is the tallest peak in Northeast Asia

Taiwan wishes to participate in the UNFCCC as an observer using a similar model to its participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA). Since assuming power in 2008, Taiwan's new administration has set energy conservation, carbon reduction and response to climate change as the major policy and endeavours to obtain international support from diplomatic accesses with proactive engagement in pragmatic and constructive dialogue across the Taiwan Strait. In earlier 2009, UN member states for the first time resolved to accept Taiwan as an official observer in the World Health Assembly (WHA). This milestone decision offered Taiwan great encouragement and also an expectation of support from the international community for further substantial participation in the UNFCCC through this unprecedented positive gesture.

Economic Affairs released figures showing that Taiwan’s carbon dioxide emissions were 248.7 million tons in 2012, a reduction of 1.9 per cent compared with 2011, and inching the nation closer to the 2005 level of 245.2 million tons. In fact, Environmental Protection Administration Minister Shen Shu-Hung says emissions have dropped for the past five years.

A Taiwan High Speed Tail train travels between Taichung and Hsinchu. The 345-kilometer-long HSR network has been in operation since January 5, 2007.

The question therefore becomes one of how Taiwan can build on this effort as well as share its successes. After all, governments and activists worldwide are well aware that climate change is a problem that requires a global solution. The starting point is for Taiwan to talk with other nations, to find ways to work together on environmental protection, to act in concert. This, of course, is the fundamental reason behind the creation of the UNFCCC. Although Taiwan’s nongovernmental organizations can take part in some UNFCCC events, the extent of such participation is severely curtailed and in no way assured. The UNFCCC can only hope to be an effective vehicle for change if its goals are acted upon by the world community. It makes little sense to exclude Taiwan, one of the world’s major trading nations.

In order to strengthen its links with other countries and promote its case for membership of the UNCCC Taiwan sent a sixty strong delegation to the conference, led by Dr Eugene Chien, the Chairman of the Taiwan Institute of Sustainable Energy.

Eighteen wind turbines set up in Taichung County’s coastal Qingshui Township
by Taiwan Power Company have become a popular sightseeing destination.

Solar panels installed by the Taipei County Government sit astride Fisherman’s Wharf, complementing work to make the Danshui and Bali wharves a more attractive, environment-friendly tourist attraction.

“People in Taiwan believe that climate change is of vital importance to the future development of the world” Dr Chien told EU Reporter. “Our people want to participate in the conference, and share our experience in Taiwan. In the meantime we can bring information back to Taiwan” he said.

Taiwanese Deputy Minister for Environment Protection Dr Shin-Cheng Yeh told EU Reporter that “Taiwan wants to contribute to controlling climate change, because it emits one per cent of the world’s total of greenhouse gases. It’s therefore very important that we be allowed to incorporate ourselves into international society”.

Members of the Legislative Yuan of Taiwan meet with European Member of Parliament Ryszard Czarnecki of Poland

Included in Taiwan’s sixty strong delegation to Warsaw was a cross party group of five members of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan (parliament), Wen-Yan Chiau and Li-Huan Yang of the KMT, Chia-Lung Lin and Yi-Jin Yeh of the DPP and Chung-Hsin Hsu of the TSU.

The group met with a range of European politicians to reinforce Taiwan’s case for participation.

“I proposed a resolution, agreed by our Legislative Yuan, to send representatives here, because for Taiwan it’s important that we be allowed to contribute to the next UNFCCC in Paris in2015” Legislator Chia-Lung Lin told EU Reporter.

“Taiwan is a small island with a high risk of natural disaster” said Legislator Wen-Yan Chiau “so we want to share our experiences with other countries so that we can mitigate the impact of climate change.”

“Some countries object to Taiwan’s participation because we are not a member of the United Nations, especially mainland China” Legislator Chung-Hsin Hsu told EU Reporter, “That is not reasonable, because Taiwan wants to contribute to international environmental protection. It is nothing to do with one country, one China, one Taiwan.”

“The European Union is very influential in the United Nations” said Legislator Chung-Hsin Hsu, “so European politicians and the European people can help us by persuading the United Nations to allow Taiwan to join the UNFCCC”.

The delegation was determined to send a strong message that all sectors of Taiwanese society support their government’s desire for a place at the climate change conference table.

Perhaps the most powerful plea came from members of the Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition. “We are the future generation, so if we do not speak up then no one will”  Liang-Yi Change, Co-founder of Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition told EU Reporter. “We have to protect our future. That is our right. So we are here in Warsaw and we hope that we can achieve equity for Taiwan”

For a country which is responsible for one per cent of global warming, as Taiwan is, to be prevented from taking part in UN efforts to find a solution to climate change problems because of political objections is unreasonable.  It is now time for the European Union and other international friends of Taiwan to seek a solution which will overcome mainland China’s veto for the greater good of mankind.

Colin Stevens

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