Taiwan: Green Island to be low-carbon model

He said major carbon emitters, such as Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), CPC Corp., Taiwan, Formosa Plastics and China Steel, will have to cut carbon emissions by replacing aging equipment to enhance energy efficiency.

"If major carbon emission businesses such as Taipower and CPC strive for progress, they will be able to cut millions or tens of millions of tons of carbon emissions every year, " he said on the sidelines of an energy conservation show coinciding with World Environment Day.

The premier pledged that the government would also focus more emphasis on energy saving and carbon reduction in public infrastructure.

One example, he said, was that the government has begun to replace the light bulbs normally used in traffic lights with LEDs in the past two years and that there are only three or four cities that have yet to replace their traffic lights. "By 2011, all traffic lights will use LEDs, " the premier said.

The government will also encourage the development of renewable energy, solar power, LEDs, biomass energy and wind energy, and electric cars and motorcycles, he said.

Meanwhile, the Executive Yuan has also planned to make Green Island as a model low-carbon emission island, the premier said. "We’ll promote the idea to other parts of Taiwan after reviewing the results on Green Island," he added.

Vice Economics Minister Huang Jung-chiou said that in addition to Green Island, the low-carbon island project will also cover three other outlying islands — Liuchiu Islet (also known as Siaoliouchiou), Penghu and Kinmen.

www.taipeitimes.com

focustaiwan.tw