Greenhouse gases covered in the Kyoto Protocol have been classified as air pollutants and beginning next year must be reported to the ROC Environmental Protection Administration.
The measure, aiming for government control over the emissions of local industries, makes Taiwan the third country after the US and Canada to list greenhouse gases as air pollution control targets, the EPA said May 8.
The EPA ruling is based on the Air Pollution Control Act and covers carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. The decision to use existing law was made because a government-sponsored bill on the reduction of greenhouse gases has languished in the Legislature for several years, according to EPA Minister Stephen Shu-hung Shen.
Cement, steel, petrochemical and semiconductor plants, as well as refineries, in particular, will be required to register and report their emissions.
The government will then be able to tax companies on air pollution or energy use based on the data they provide, and regulate carbon permits, Shen said, adding that no timetable has been set for the implementation of these steps.
Environmentalists are happy with the measure, which they see as a preliminary step by the government toward tackling climate change. They expect it to stimulate industry to reduce emissions.
Chen Man-li, chairwoman of the Homemakers United Foundation, urged the EPA to set up a fair and objective system to review data provided by companies and thus prevent fraud.
