Taiwan activists call for higher carbon reduction target ahead of COP30

Taipei, Nov. 1 (CNA) Over 1,000 people took to the streets of Taipei on Saturday, urging the government to raise its carbon reduction target to 52 percent by 2035 compared with 2005 levels, instead of the 38 percent currently pledged, ahead of COP30.

The demonstrators, including environmental groups and people from various sectors, marched around Taipei City Hall, carrying banners and placards made from recycled materials, with the procession led not by a typical lead vehicle but a drum band, to highlight low-carbon ideals.

The "March for Climate: Building a Resilient Taiwan" event was held to call for a 2035 carbon emission reduction target by the Taiwanese government to align with its 2050 net-zero objective, according to a statement issued by the environmental groups.

As COP30 is expected to focus on accelerating climate action, Chao Chia-wei (趙家緯) from the Taiwan Climate Action Network, one of the organizers, said that the Taiwanese government should "strengthen its carbon reduction targets," raising the current goal to 52 percent.

Taiwan's third phase of carbon emissions reduction commitments under Nationally Determination Contributions (NDC 3.0) is not ambitious enough to achieve the country's 2050 net-zero target required to limit a global temperature rise, Chao told reports before the march.

The draft NDC 3.0 proposal is based on recommendations adopted in January by the National Climate Change Committee, chaired by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), setting Taiwan's new emissions reduction targets at 32 ± 2 percent for 2032 and 38 ± 2 percent for 2035, compared with 2005 levels.

The plan is expected to be officially announced ahead of COP30.

The activists also urged the government to outline a phase-out plan for fossil fuels, set sector-specific goals and strategies for the energy, transportation and industrial sectors, ensure the carbon fee takes effect as scheduled, and develop transitional pathways to eliminate high-carbon processes in industries such as petrochemicals and steel, according to their statement.

In addition, the activists demanded that the government uphold its nuclear-free homeland policy, amend the Climate Change Response Act to include provisions for public interest litigation to ensure vulnerable groups have access to legal remedies, and protect the rights of children and youth to participate in the decision-making process, the statement said.

Only by respecting procedural justice and allowing all generations, vulnerable groups and local communities to participate in energy transition can true trust and consensus in addressing climate change be built, said Tu Yu-wen (涂又文), chief executive officer of the Environmental Rights Foundation.