Taiwan's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claims the country's low ranking in a recent climate change report is due to controversial methods for calculating results. The rankings were listed in NGO Germanwatch’s annual Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) publication, which placed Taiwan 57th globally.
The CCPI tracks the performance of climate change protection in 59 countries and the EU. The EPA says the CCPI uses inconsistent methods in its calculations, and Taiwan and other countries continue to stay within their goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The agency says the standards don't account for Taiwanese industry structures and disregard the relative responsibilities of each country.
The EPA adds that under current energy usage standards, Taiwan is at a disadvantage due to its independent energy grid and reliance on foreign trade. At the 2019 COP 25, Taiwanese representatives expressed that the current standards would undermine many countries' efforts to curb climate change.
The EPA says it still respects the CCPI results, but adds that the ranking doesn't reflect Taiwan's efforts to reduce carbon emissions.