Written by Anthony Li. This article reviews how the government of Taiwan under President Lai Ching-te continued to lead the way in energy transitions in 2024. It discusses its energy policy and outlines the achievements as well as the challenges of how the central government mobilises local governments, solar energy companies, NGOs, and local communities for solar energy development.
Written by Chia-wei Chao. Trump’s return to the presidency could reshape the global energy landscape, challenging Taiwan to navigate a more uncertain climate policy environment. By proactively addressing geopolitical risks, energy flows, and trade opportunities, Taiwan can safeguard its climate ambitions while maintaining robust ties with the US.
Written by Elizabeth Frost. This article highlights Taiwan’s unfulfilled potential to gain international recognition through climate action. One possible reason is the gap between its impressive climate commitments and ineffective governance to make these commitments a reality. Effective climate governance can help Taiwan achieve its aim like other issue-based diplomacy.
Written by Paul Jobin. This article discusses the challenges and strategic priorities of Taiwan’s national committees placed in the Presidential Office, addressing the issues of climate change, defence resilience, and health. This article reviews the first meeting of the National Climate Change Response Committee to assess the government’s stance on nuclear energy, the priorities of different stakeholders in climate policy, and the potential synergies with Taiwan’s defence and health strategies.
Written by Hsin-Ju Li. This article reviews Taiwan’s legal frameworks for carbon emission reduction, including the carbon fee and carbon trading schemes. It also explores how Indigenous peoples have participated in these systems and the future path for developing Indigenous carbon rights.
Written by Helen Hai-Ning Huang. This article highlights the key provisions of the Climate Change Response Act, particularly its design, objectives, and emissions reduction targets, and dissects the historic constitutional climate lawsuit in Taiwan.
Written by Mori Lin. This article explores Taiwan’s journey toward a nuclear-free homeland. It examines the challenges and opportunities in its energy transition, the impact of legal reforms, and the ongoing efforts to enhance energy security and sustainability.
Written by Kuan-Wei Chen. This article explores Taiwan’s integration of ecological considerations into its constitution through ecological constitutionalism. It highlights legislative advancements and the challenges of implementing these principles in legal and constitutional frameworks.
Written by Eric Siu-kei Cheng. Science and Technology Studies (STS) is an interdisciplinary field that explores the co-production between technology and society. Taiwanese scholars adopt the lens of STS to explore diverse topics and provide critical insights to public policies and social activism. The upcoming 2024 annual meeting of the Taiwan STS Association, to be held in Taitung City, will focus on the theme of “rhythm,” exploring the role of time, temporality, and timing in the context of STS.
Written by Hui-Tzu Huang. The development of citizen power plants in Taiwan faces challenges such as the commercialization of energy cooperatives, centralized power grid infrastructure, and inconsistent regulations. Despite these obstacles, this article highlights the potential of citizen power plants to raise public awareness of energy issues and promote energy autonomy.
Written by Chia-wei Chao & Benjamin Yang. When it comes to the climate, all three candidates in Taiwan’s upcoming presidential election have emphasised the importance of taking action and committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The main driver behind this mainstreaming of climate policy is the fact that supply chain requirements have made the country’s export competitiveness highly connected to climate performance. Therefore, we must scrutinise the comprehensiveness of each candidate’s policy proposals, rather than solely relying on whether they are climate denialists, to distinguish their positions. Taiwan Climate Action Network (TCAN), a collaborative advocacy platform organised by five NGOs, has thus produced a climate commitment tracker to compare their positions on seven key climate-related policies: (1) 2030 emissions reduction target, (2) carbon pricing strategies, (3) 2030 power mix, (4) renewable energy development plan, (5) industrial decarbonisation, (6) public participation, and (7) just transition. In this article, we will focus specifically on their 2030 pledges, carbon pricing strategies, and just transition policies.
Written by Valagas Gadeljeman; translated by Yu-Chen Chuang. Since Typhoon Morakot, the government and academia have not thoroughly explored why Indigenous knowledge is fading and why Indigenous adaptation is becoming more difficult for Indigenous communities. Why can’t Indigenous people have the same freedom and right to choose where their tribe lives as they once did? What policies and laws have limited their ability to move freely? In short, there’s a lack of Indigenous perspectives in Taiwan’s post-disaster recovery discussions, especially when it comes to the importance of ancestral traditional territories. In this article, I’ll discuss the traditional decision-making processes and negotiation strategies in Indigenous communities, with a focus on Paiwan women leaders’ insights.
Taiwan Insight 