TSU to promote bid for participation as ‘Taiwan’ in UNFCCC

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) yesterday said it would promote a bid for Taiwan to participate in the UN Framework Conventions on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under its sovereign name with the collaboration of civic groups.

“President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) pro-China position and his shelving of Taiwan’s sovereignty have resulted in people being confused about Taiwan’s sovereign status, which is why this initiative is imperative,” TSU Legislator Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) told a press conference.

Taiwan reiterates goal of joining U.N. organizations

Taipei, Sept. 2 (CNA) Taiwan reiterated Thursday that it is aiming to achieve "meaningful participation" in international organizations and it appealed for continued global support for its bid to join two such organizations, two weeks ahead of the United Nations' annual General Assembly.

Deputy Foreign Minister Shen Ssu-tsun said at a news conference that the Taiwan government's strategy remains steady as it seeks to participate in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Taiwan has secured the support of various countries and organizations since last year, when the government listed entry to the UNFCCC and ICAO among its goals, he said.

International support for Taiwan's efforts in this direction has come from the European Parliament, the Australian Parliament, the United States Senate and 19 representatives of the U.S. Congress, he said.

Taiwan will also ask its diplomatic allies to state its case in the 65th session of the U.N. General Assembly, which is scheduled to open Sept. 14 in New York City and at the 37th ICAO Assembly which will be held in Montreal, Canada from Sept. 28-Oct. 8, Shen said.

The allies will also make a similar effort at the U.N. Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which will be held from Sept. 20-22, and the at ICAO Assembly, he said. An appeal will be made for Taiwan to be included in these bodies as part of the global cooperative effort on various issues, he added.

With respect to the 16th UNFCCC Conference of Parties to be held in Cancun, Mexico from Nov. 29-Dec. 10, Shen said, the ministry is still studying a proposal for that bid and will make an announcement at a later date.

Shen did not answer a question on whether Taiwan has a timetable for its entry to the UNFCCC and whether China has been putting up any roadblocks.

Taiwan has not been represented in the U.N. since 1971, when the Republic of China's seat was given to the People's Republic of China. Taiwan has tried unsuccessfully to have the world body consider the issue of its representation since 1993, but its efforts have been blocked by Beijing, which claims that Taiwan is part of China.

During the UNFCCC Conference in the Danish capital of Copenhagen last December, a China official voiced opposition to Taiwan's inclusion in the organization, citing Beijing's "one China principle."

He said that the initiatives by some nations in favor of Taiwan's bid to join the UNFCCC as an observer had "hurt the feelings of the 1.3 billion Chinese people."

However, since then, tensions across the Taiwan Strait have eased, particularly after the two sides signed a historic trade agreement in June -- a move that was welcomed by the international community.

Last month, Singapore and Taiwan jointly announced that they were studying the feasibility of a free trade agreement, which signaled a willingness on China's part to allow Taiwan more international space.

Shen said that in the wake of the cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement, he thinks China has a better understanding of Taiwan's position. Nonetheless, Taiwan will seek to win as much international support as possible before heading into the next phase, he said.

The Taiwan government said last September that the UNFCCC and the ICAO are the first two international organizations it will seek to join and that it has a three-phase plan toward that goal.

Shen did not elaborate on Taiwan's timetable or details of its phased strategy, saying only that it will be a continuing effort and that the foreign ministry will implement its plans based on the situation as it develops. (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc

MOFA maintains efforts to assist Taiwanese stranded in Europe

Taipei, April 20 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday that it is still trying to offer help to Taiwanese travelers stranded in Europe five days after air traffic over Europe came to a standstill.

Giant clouds of ash spewing from an erupting volcano in Iceland has drifted over large swathes of Europe, rendering flying hazardous.

European Union transport ministers have held an extraordinary meeting via video conference and have agreed on a "progressive and coordinated" reopening of European airspace with full guarantees of safety.

According to a MOFA press release, staff of its 26 representative offices based in European countries have been assisting stranded Taiwanese round the clock over the last five days and have offered help to more than 900 people.

Those who run out of money in Europe as a result of the chaos will be granted an emergency loan of US$500, the press release said, adding that the MOFA is also coordinating an emergency evacuation plan that will arrange flights to transport elderly citizens, children and those in need of medical services back to Taiwan once flights resume.

According to the EU website, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol) has divided the airspace into three zones based on the volcanic ash content.

Eurocontrol explained that the first of these zones is the region beneath the volcanic plume, where there is still a strict no-fly zone, such as London and Amsterdam. The second zone, which includes Vienna, covers an area where ash might be present but in which operations will be coordinated by the authorities of member states. The third zone is the area unaffected by the ash and in which there are no flight restrictions, such as Rome.

Eurocontrol was expecting 40 percent to 45 percent of flights in European airspace to resume Wednesday compared to 30 percent Tuesday. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

Taiwanese lovers to cycle around the world in 30 months

Taoyuan, Taiwan April 7 (CNA) A Taiwanese couple are embarking on a cycling trip that would take them to four continents in 30 months to promote the centenary of the Republic of China (Taiwan), as well as environmental awareness and Taiwanese products.

Lin Hsiau-kai, 37, and his girlfriend Yen Yi-hui, 27, began their 55,000-kilometer trip on Wednesday by flying from Taoyuan International Airport to Bangkok, Thailand, where the cycling will begin.

"Ever since I was a high school freshman in 1986, I've dreamt about taking this trip and it has finally come true. But the road is long and there's a big challenge ahead, " Lin told the CNA at the airport.

Lin and Yen plan to travel the world on bicycles from April 2010 to October 2012. During the 30 months, they will cycle across Southeast Asia, Oceania, Central Asia and Europe before flying across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States and then Japan, the final stop.

Lin, who worked at the technical department of the renowned Taiwanese dance troupe Cloud Gate together with Yen before the two quit their jobs, said this has been a dream of his since he read about the story of Hu Jung-hua, the first Taiwanese to cycle around the world in the 1980s, and was greatly inspired.

Interestingly, he said, a coincidence made the trip happen.

"My landlord told us a couple of months ago that we had to move out because he had decided to sell his apartment. I thought about taking a break from work before coming up with the idea to turn the break into a cycling tour around the world, " Lin said.

He thought the year 2010 would be a good time to make the trip because preparations are beginning this year to celebrate the ROC's centenary next year and cycling is a good way to promote awareness of climate change and alternative energy.

Yen joined without hesitation although she had no previous cycling experience. Lin has been a long-time cyclist and cycled across Australia in 1996. Yen said all she wanted was to go out and see the world and cycling is one of the options of transportation.

Yen and Lin said they would like to dedicate the trip to the Republic of China (Taiwan) , which was established in 1911, as a birthday present to the country.

"I guess we'll be somewhere in Australia on January 1, 2011 to celebrate the first day of the centenary. And maybe we can get married on October 10, ROC's National Day somewhere in Europe, " she joked.

Lin drew up the travel itinerary after consulting with a senior cyclist, who advised them which countries to avoid and which countries would be good places to cycle in.

Lin half-jokingly said Wednesday that he was still struggling with whether to make the trip, but also noted that the most important factor of the long trip is not stamina, but determination.

The pair will cycle between 60 to 120 kilometers on average each day, Lin said.

With a budget of around NT$2 million (approximately US$63,400) , Lin said, the trip would not be possible without the sponsorship of several local bicycle companies, which provided them with bicycles priced at NT$200,000 each, and the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which asked Taiwan's foreign offices to provide help.

Cloud Gate founder Lin Hwai-min also encouraged the couple to make the trip with a donation of NT$100,000.

"Mr. Lin jokingly told me that I would have to pay him the money back if I drop out of the trip, " Lin said.

A certified historical sites guide in Taiwan, Lin said he believes that he will be able to share Taiwan's stories with foreigners and "show Taiwan to the world" during his trip.

"And about 90 percent of our equipment are Taiwan-made. We would like to tell people these products are very well-made in Taiwan, " he said.

Cycling is an ideal way of travel, which is faster than walking and slower than driving cars, Lin said, adding that it also makes connecting and communicating with local people possible.

Looking ahead to the trip, Yen said that the place she would like to visit the most is Lijiang in the southern China's Yunnan province, because of the difficulty of the route, which is 2,800-3,000 meters above sea level.

However, Lin acknowledged that it is very much possible that the trip will turn out differently than it was originally planned due to weather conditions, accidents and the situations in different countries.

"We might have to change our plan along the way, " he said.

But no matter how the world tour turns out, the couple said they plan to document their dream trip every step of the way by taking photographs and shooting videos. They also plan to regularly update their blogs and Facebook fan pages to keep in touch with friends.

Lin and Yen are scheduled to kick start the 2,100-kilometer first leg of the two-and-a-half-year trip from Thailand to Malaysia and Singapore from April 7-28.

After that, they will travel to Australia and New Zealand as well as make stops in China, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus before entering eastern and central Europe in the second half of 2011. (By Chris Wang) enditem/cs

Climate refugees an issue for Taiwan

Taipei, March 25 (CNA) The term "climate refugees" became a much talked about issue when it was raised in Taiwan recently following massive damage and loss of life resulting from natural disasters, as well as in President Ma Ying-jeou's ongoing trip to Taiwan's six South Pacific allies.

Discussions about the possible climate refugee phenomenon increased after Typhoon Morakot devastated parts of southern Taiwan last August.

This is partly why a locally produced global warming documentary titled "Plus or Minus Two Degrees Celsius, " inspired by the 2006 documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" produced by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, attracted attention and sparkled public debate over its prediction of an apocalyptic future for Taiwan.

According to the film, the people of Taiwan will be among the first climate refugees -- or "environmentally induced migration" as some prefer to call it -- if the environmental situation keeps deteriorating and protection measures are not immediately put in place.

The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) , an advocacy organization, claimed in a 2009 report that nearly 10 percent of the world's population is at risk from displacement by climate change. Around 26 million have already had to move, a figure that the EJF predicts could have grown to 150 million by 2050.

The impact of climate change became one of the key themes during Ma's South Pacific trip. He talked about helping Taiwan's allies to fight climate change and rising sea levels. For Kiribati and Tuvalu, global warming is a life-threatening disaster because it is causing rising sea levels that could eventually submerge their homelands, according to some scientists.

"We will help seek possible solutions to the global warming that is causing rising sea levels that could eventually submerge Kiribati, " Ma said during a meeting with Kiribati President Anote Tong.

He also noted that according to research, ancestors of the Austronesian people now living in the South Pacific emigrated from Taiwan some 3,000 years ago.

"We will probably return to Taiwan someday, " Tong responded.

Benjamin T.H. Ho, Taiwan's ambassador to Kiribati, said in a recent interview with CNA that the Kiribati government has devised a plan for "relocation of the whole country" in the event of a disaster and has also been lobbying for more international aid for its life-and-death battle against global warming.

According to the ambassador, Kiribati was exploring whether any country in the world would be willing to provide land or an island to accommodate its total population of about 100,000.

Ho said the plan does not seem feasible. Although Australia and New Zealand are willing to accept immigrants from Kiribati, they would not do so without any prerequisites.

Ho said that in his view, apart from offering vocational training, Taiwan could play a more active role in Kiribati's relocation plan by opening its doors to workers from there.

The ambassador said he had already discussed the proposal with the Council of Labor Affairs and that the plan is likely be implemented if the Kiribati government is willing to set up a fund to offer low-interest loans for prospective Kiribati workers to travel to Taiwan. The travel cost is about US$300 per person, which Ho said could be repaid through phased deductions from the workers' wages.

While Tuvalu also faces the threat of rising sea levels, its government has not been as active as Kiribati's in seeking national relocation. "The Tuvalu government is reluctant to talk about national relocation because it fears its people will panic, " according to James C.K. Tien, Taiwan's ambassador to Tuvalu.

Asked about the possibility of Taiwan accepting climate refugees, Ger Baushuan, deputy secretary-general of the Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) , said the ministry has not heard of anything related to the issue and has no such plans.

Ger pointed out that these South Pacific countries traditionally maintain closer relationships with Australia and New Zealand because of proximity, history and culture.

The New Zealand Foreign Ministry states on its website that its immigration policy does allow for a limited number of people from Pacific countries including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati and Tuvalu to gain residency in New Zealand. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

Taiwan keen to help Africa adapt to climate change

Taipei, March 17 (CNA) Taiwan is pushing forward with efforts to combat climate change and is keen to help its African allies cope with the challenge, Taiwan's government officials and scholars said Wednesday at an international meeting.

Despite the fact that Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) , it will abide by the non-binding results of the Copenhagen Accord, said Stephen Shu-hung Shen, minister of the Environmental Protection Administration, in the "Taiwan and Africa Environmental Leaders Meeting." Taiwan, which is estimated to account for one percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, is taking a series of actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change, Shen told the meeting.

Taiwan's government has announced a Guidelines for Sustainable Energy Policy in 2008 and has been engaged in enactment of four energy-related laws, including: the GHG (Green House Gas) Reduction Law, the Act for Renewable Energy, the Act for Energy Tax, and the Energy Management Act, Shen said.

President Ma Ying-jeou has also vowed to make the year 2010 a year of "conserving energy and reducing carbon emissions, " Shen noted.

Ma has also pledged to cut Taiwan's emissions to 2005 levels by 2020 and reduce emissions by 50 percent before 2010, Shen said.

While Taiwan has a tough task ahead in cutting its own emissions, it is able to help African countries on the issue with its expertise, Shen and academics said at the one-day meeting that gathered environmental officials from Taiwan's allies in the African continent, including Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe and Swaziland.

Shen said Taiwan would like to cooperate with its African allies in knowledge-sharing and promotion of the green energy industry.

Despite the differences between Taiwan and Africa, Taiwan can offer Africa help in education and health investments, as well as developing land-use management, river management and an early-warning system, said Young Chea-yuan, a professor at Chinese Culture University's Department of Natural Resources.

It can also help African nations improve their response capability through the nature conservation systems and develop social networks for protecting the poor from natural disasters, Young said.

Africa is the most fragile continent where agriculture production and food safety are at high risks from global warming, Robert Dixon, leader of the climate change and chemicals investment at Global Environment Facility (GEF) , told the meeting. Climate change will also aggravate water stress in the continent, he added.

Delegates from non-ally African nations, including South Africa, Kenya, Libya and Nigeria, also attended the meeting. (By Chris Wang) enditem/cs 

Canada-Taiwan forestry management workshop to be held Thursday

Taipei, Feb. 24 (CNA) A workshop will be held Thursday to study and share forestry management experience and development in Canada and Taiwan, with the goal of maintaining a sustainable and livable environment, organizers said Wednesday.

The "Sustainable Forestry Management Workshop", organized by the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT) and Forest Products Association of Canada, will be a one-day event to discuss sustainable forest management in Canada and study the development of a forest product industry in Taiwan.

"With 10 percent of the world's forests, Canada accepts the reality that its forest management has global implications, " CTOT Executive Director Scott Fraser said. "Every year, Canada regenerates close to 700,000 hectares of forest -- more than all other countries combined." Fraser said he hopes the workshop will provide both countries with an opportunity to share that experience.

Taiwan is currently one of Canada's biggest trading partners and imports about C$60 million (US$56.8 million) worth of lumber from Canada every year. Taiwan, once a lumber exporter, has 72 percent forest coverage, according to the CTOT.

European officials urge Taiwan to tackle climate change

Taipei, Dec. 6 (CNA) European officials urged the Taiwanese government and businesses to start taking pragmatic measures to tackle the climate change challenge as Taiwan's carbon dioxide emissions are drawing international concern.

Taiwanese officials and corporations know very well how serious the emissions are, and understand the linkages between those emissions and climate change, but neither are taking action to meet the challenge, said Frederic Laplanche, deputy head of the European Economic and Trade Office (EETO) in Taipei.

"Neither of the two leading candidates in next year's presidential election has put forward specific proposals to reduce Taiwan's high -- and growing -- emissions, " said Michael Reilly, Director of the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) in Taipei, in a conference discussing media coverage of the climate change issue.

"According to an opinion piece in a local newspaper last Sunday, Taiwan is now the world's third highest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases, behind only the United States and Australia, " Reilly noted, adding that there has been surprisingly little discussion of the impact of global warming on Taiwan.

Taiwan, which is not a Kyoto Protocol signatory and cannot be a signatory to the successor to the Kyoto Treaty because it is not a United Nations member, produces one percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions.

Taiwanese officials, including Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) Minister Steve Chen, did not refuse to tackle the issue during discussions with European officials, but some government officials did speak against setting specific targets for cutting emissions, said Edward Dallas, head of BTCO's political and economic section.

The people of Taiwan, especially businessmen and government officials, have to understand that their actions to reduce emissions will have a short-term negative impact on business, but in the long run it is something they must do, Laplanche said.

A possible carbon tax and an import ban on countries which are seen to be "unfriendly to emission mitigation" will impact Taiwanese companies which want to trade in the European market in the future, he said.

According to an European Union (EU) public opinion poll, approximately 87 percent of EU citizens are concerned with climate change, Laplanche said, and that public support is the driving force behind the EU's determination to tackle the climate change issue head-on.

The EU has made a commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020 compared to its 1990 levels and a deeper absolute reduction after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.