NGO petitions for stronger government response to climate change

Taipei, Sept. 22 (CNA) An environmental group submitted a petition to the Presidential Office on Wednesday, calling for more aggressive action by the government to combat climate change, and it said a rally will be held in Taipei on the weekend to raise awareness of the issue.

Members of the Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition (TWYCC), who delivered the petition to the Presidential Office, said one of the urgent actions required is an amendment to Taiwan's Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act.

Under the act, which was implemented in 2015, Taiwan has set a goal of reducing its carbon emissions to 50 percent of the 2005 levels by 2050.

According to the TWYCC, however, the act fails to assign clear responsibilities to the relevant government agencies on greenhouse gas reduction initiatives, and the measures currently in place are not effective.

The group said it hopes the government will revise the law before the start of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in late October.

Another area in which the government should be more proactive is public education, TWYCC representative Hou Chun-chi (侯俊吉) said, calling on the Ministry of Education to offer interdisciplinary courses in schools, to include climate change.

"There is no vaccine against climate change," Hou said. "No one can stay detached from the issue."

As part of its public awareness campaign, TWYCC said, it will hold a rally Saturday near Ximen MRT Station in Taipei from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The rally will be limited to around 50 people at a time, due to COVID-19 concerns, the group said.

Members of other civic groups will be invited to speak on climate issues, while participants will be encouraged to submit written comments, the TWYCC said.