President takes initiatives to safeguard environment

Meanwhile, the Cabinet led by Premier Liu Chao-shiuan adopted a new set of policy guidelines to promote the sustainable development and use of energy under the key principles of “high efficiency,” “high value-added,” “low emissions,” and “low dependency (on foreign fuel sources).”

The “sustainable energy policy guidelines” were announced by Government Information Office Chief Vanessa Yea-ping Shih at the end of the regular weekly Cabinet meeting.

The R&D fund for projects related to developing renewable energy resources to NT$10 billion per year from the present level of NT$5 billion.

Premier Liu hoped that Taiwan can create a new “low-carbon” economy that balances economic development, environmental protection and social justice by following the new energy policy.

Liu also demanded that unclear power should be included in the options of “no-carbon-emission” energy and that the delayed fourth nuclear power plant should be completed as soon as possible, according to Shih.

In October 2000, the previous government decided to suspend the construction of the fourth plant. Construction was resumed after four months and is expected to become fully operational no sooner than late 2009.

Energy structure

The Cabinet also established several substantial steps to carry out the policy, Shih said, adding that the government will overhaul the energy structure by raising energy utilization efficiency, encouraging “clean” energy, and promoting energy conservation.

On energy efficiency, the government has set the goal of raising energy efficiency by 2 percent for each of the next eight years.

The nationwide energy intensity in 2015 would be 20 percent lower than the levels in 2005 and that the energy intensity in 2025 would be 50 percent lower than the 2005 level.

Energy intensity is a measure of energy efficiency: the higher the intensity, lower the efficiency.

For clean energy, the government will generate cleaner energy with low or no carbon emission. It aims to lower the nationwide emission volume back to the year 2008 level some time between 2016 and 2020, and back to the year 2000 level by 2025.

Meanwhile, the percentage of low-carbon energy in the total energy generated in Taiwan would increase from 40 percent at present to 55 percent in 2025, according to the guidelines.

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