The three main Taipei mayoral candidates outlined their views and platforms on climate policy for the capital city on Saturday at an expo about ways to help the country achieve the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Kuomintang (KMT) candidate Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), and former Taipei Deputy Mayor Huang Shan-shan (黃珊珊), who is running as an independent, underscored the importance for Taiwan to reach carbon neutrality as they laid out their respective climate platforms at the 2022 Taiwan Climate Action Expo in Taipei.
Chiang said a bottom-up approach was key to sustaining climate change governance, proposing a program in which residents could get one free bus ride by squatting 20 times, for instance.
Chiang was apparently referencing a “health ticket” policy introduced last year in a Romanian city, aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle and public transportation.
In addition, Chiang said, he had called on the central government to reserve 30 percent of the carbon fee it is set to collect from large emitters around 2024 for local governments to use for emissions reduction initiatives because they are “on the frontline.”
Chen said he preferred a top-down measure, and the Taipei government should put forth clear regulations and incentives for both the public and private sectors to follow.
Chen said he would consult international experts about ways to reduce greenhouse emissions for the city, introduce smart energy, and encourage environment-friendly. business opportunities.
Meanwhile, Huang emphasized that there should be both law enforcement and grassroots-level initiatives helping citizens contribute to reducing carbon emissions in their daily lives.
She also explained how the city has implemented environment protection measures in recent years, saying that for example, a per-bag trash fee calculated based on the volume of waste collected has allowed Taipei to top all other cities in the world in terms of trash reduction.
Chiang, Huang, and Chen are all vying for the Taipei mayoralty in the local elections on Nov. 26.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel