President Tsai Ing-wen says Taiwan’s transition to net-zero carbon emissions can produce a “new momentum” to drive forward Taiwan’s economic development.
Speaking on Monday at an event for socially responsible investment, Tsai conceded that the transition would be difficult but said Taiwan had to succeed.
Taiwan aims to produce net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The government’s National Development Council will release its road map for reaching that target later this month.
President Tsai says Taiwan’s strategy for cutting emissions from industry is based on the principle of “big first, small later”. That means the government’s efforts will focus on first helping big corporations to become more environmentally friendly before moving onto smaller companies.
Tsai also says the government’s plans center around what she calls “four big transitions”. The top priority, she says, is Taiwan’s energy transition. Tsai says Taiwan will continue to install more capacity for renewable energy sources and replace coal power with natural gas, which emits less carbon dioxide than coal.
In addition, Tsai says Taiwan will invest in research into hydrogen energy and other developing technologies.
Tsai says Taiwan's other priorities are to reform Taiwan’s export industries, make people’s lifestyles more eco-friendly, and ensure that Taiwan’s green transition is done in a socially responsible way.