Taiwan bats for participation in the UNFCCC, cites alarming impact of climate change

By Wallace Minn-Gan Chow
Representative
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines

As we have witnessed recently, six consecutive storms with catastrophic impacts hit the Philippines in just one month, from Severe Tropical Storm Kristine in October to Super Typhoon Pepito in November. In between were four other tropical cyclones, Leon, Marce, Nika, and Ofel.  The first 5 typhoons have already resulted in at least 160 deaths, displaced over 9 million people, affected more than 10 million individuals, and caused extensive damage to farmland and infrastructure. 

The impacts of climate change and extreme weather are the greatest challenges facing human society today. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the era of global warming has ended and that the era of global boiling has arrived. The world is facing the imminent threat of climate collapse. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan continues to actively engage the public and private sectors and work with its diplomatic allies and other like-minded countries to promote concrete climate action.

1. Establishing the National Climate Change Committee: On June 19, 2024, President Lai Ching-te announced the formation of the National Climate Change Committee. The group held its first meeting on August 8. Moving forward, it will focus on the two main consensus areas of actively developing renewable energy and establishing a shared and credible information platform. Based on this framework, the committee will engage public and private resources and capabilities to formulate concrete strategies for Taiwan to address the climate crisis.
2. Enhancing national climate change adaptation capacity: Last July, the Ministry of Environment and the National Science and Technology Council released Taiwan’s first National Climate Change Science Report, which assessed and analyzed the specific threats posed by climate change to environmental protection, agricultural development, and public health. The report established a solid scientific foundation for Taiwan’s future climate adaptation policies.
3. Strengthening legal frameworks: Following the passage of the Climate Change Response Act last year, the Ministry of Environment promulgated three associated measures on August 29—Regulations Governing the Collection of Carbon Fees, Regulations for Administration of Voluntary Reduction Plans, and Designated Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals for Entities Subject to Carbon Fees. The announcement officially marked Taiwan’s entry into the emissions pricing era. The carbon fee system actively encourages businesses to transition to low-carbon operations, making it a new driver of Taiwan’s green growth.
4. Deepening carbon credit cooperation with diplomatic allies: To implement international cooperation on carbon-reduction mechanisms, as outlined in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, Taiwan will step up cooperation with its diplomatic allies on carbon credit issues. This aligns with Taiwan’s policy of integrated diplomacy and its efforts to move from consolidating diplomatic alliances to achieving coprosperity with allies. Indeed, Taiwan is joining forces with its allies to address the opportunities and challenges of transitioning to net zero by 2050.
5. Collaborating with international partners to combat climate change: This year, Taiwan has held numerous workshops on topics such as climate adaptation, energy transition, green finance, and the circular economy with the United States, Japan, Australia, and other like-minded partners under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework. Taiwan’s willingness to collaborate with like-minded partners on global climate change governance was recognized in a resolution passed by the 52nd Asian-Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union (APPU), which supported Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Mechanisms to address climate change such as the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement should not discriminate against Taiwan due to political reasons. Taiwan has never shirked its responsibilities. Like other countries, it should be given equal opportunities to participate in the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement. The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the UNFCCC is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22, 2024. We urge our Filipino friends to support Taiwan’s professional, pragmatic, and constructive participation in UNFCCC mechanism and allow Taiwan to work with the international community to contribute to a net-zero world.