The EPA organized the 2022 Environmental Technology Forum and Achievement Presentation on 5 December 2022. Diverse issues related to environmental protection tasks were discussed, including the seasonal air pollution hazards and health protection issues of public concern. With more than 250 people attending the event, experts and scholars shared the achievements of their environmental technology research. In his speech, EPA Minister Tzi-Chin Chang stated that the EPA had proposed a plan for net-zero emission technology development for 2023 to 2026, with relevant funding already approved by the Executive Yuan.  

The 2022 Environmental Technology Forum and Achievement Presentation covered a wide range of issues, including noise prevention, green products, chemical safety, monitoring of environmental agents, emerging pollutants in drinking water, recycling of consumer electronic wastes, and treatment of soil and groundwater pollution. The discussions not only demonstrated the close link between the technology research and development and the EPA policy guidelines, but also showed the practical application of the technologies in people’s lives. Members of the government, industry, academia and the public were able to participate together in the exchanges as forward-looking and innovative technologies obtained through technology development plans were shared. At the end of the forum, prizes were given to outstanding exhibits in the event.     

In his speech, Minister Chang pointed out that in response to the global trend of pursuing net-zero emission, the pressure of reducing carbon in supply chains and the negative impact of extreme weather, the National Development Council announced on 30 March 2022 Taiwan's Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050. In addition to policy promotion, the development of net-zero technologies is also a must for Taiwan in order to reach the 2050 goal. The development of net-zero technologies should be goal-oriented and linked closely with the entire net-zero emission pathway and scheduled with suitable quantitative indicators. It is hoped that through net-zero emission technology plans, technologies relevant to net-zero benefit analysis and evaluation, resource circulation and carbon reduction and net-zero green living transformation can be developed to realize the long-term vision of transitioning to net-zero emissions. The EPA had proposed the net-zero emission technology development plan for 2023 to 2026, which encompasses the integrative evaluation of the reduction benefits of the net-zero pathway, resource circulation and carbon reduction technology projects, and demonstration and promotion projects of technologies relevant to net-zero green living transition. Relevant funds had been approved by the Executive Yuan.

Minister Chang further stated that in response to the diverse aspects of challenges requiring the application of environmental technologies, and to ascertain the existing gaps in the development strategies of environmental technologies in Taiwan in order to set the medium and long-term overall technological development strategies and guidelines, the EPA is planning the mid-term technology promotion strategies and governance goals. It will draft the Environmental Sustainability Technology White Paper based on the six major environmental fields of the National Environmental Protection Plan, namely resource circulation, net-zero emission, governance of atmospheric environments, watersheds and soil, chemical substance management, and environmental resource investigation and monitoring, as core subjects for the overall strategy planning. It will also propose annual technology development plans for each subsequent year.  

 

Excerpt from Major Environmental Policies, December 2022