Government sets example by adopting green measures

This article was written by Tso Londi and published by the Taiwan Journal on May 29, 2008. It reports that under the direction of President Ma Ying-jeou, Taiwan's new administration announced it had begun introducing guidelines for government departments and agencies to save energy and reduce carbon emissions, which are considered one of the major causes of global climate change.

According to the Presidential Office, Ma was also scheduled to sign an environmental protocol on World Environment Day on June 5, stating that the government would continue taking green initiatives throughout the next four years of his presidency.

The United Nations General Assembly designated June 5 as World Environment Day in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. The WED slogan for this year is "Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy".

Besides following up on pre-election pledges to meet the emissions target set by the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and plant 60,000 hectares of new forest, Ma's environmental approach was seen as being a response to rising fuel prices, shrinking supplies of traditional sources of energy and growing concern around the world for the future of the planet.

Setting an example on May 22, officials at the Presidential Office began using smaller cars instead of limousines, reserving the larger vehicles for visiting foreign dignitaries. Employees at the office were also being encouraged to use public transportation at least once a month, be more attentive to office recycling programs and use disposable tableware as little as possible.

Following the lead, the Executive Yuan announced on May 27 its own guidelines to help contribute to a reduction of carbon emissions. They included promoting the use of cars that run on liquefied petroleum gas and cutting tariff duties of imported gas in half, from 10 percent to 5 percent.

It was impossible for the government to replace all official cars with LPG vehicles because of a limited budget. However, according to the Government Information Office, the administration would continue taking appropriate measures to support Ma's objectives. Promoting car pools was a good way to cut down on personal costs and save energy.

A number of other government agencies have also been coming up with methods to save energy and resources. For example, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications plans to use a video conferencing system, so that officials in remote areas do not have to travel to Taipei for meetings. In addition, the MOTC plans to install technology that is able to adjust settings on air conditioning systems based on a room's humidity and temperature. It was estimated that such a system would reduce energy consumption by up to 30 percent.

The Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs plans to improve the energy efficiency of its air conditioners and elevators, and to replace traffic-light bulbs with more energy-efficient light emitting diodes.

In addition, the Environmental Protection Administration has stopped providing its staff and visitors with paper cups, and turns off its lights from noon to 1 p.m. every day.

"The government's actions will have a positive effect on society," said the representatives of the environmental organization Green Citizens' Action Alliance. It was hoped that the government would move to legislate environmental changes by passing important laws like the Greenhouse Gases Reduction Act as soon as possible.