Environment, economy, and society are the three pillars of sustainable development. As we constantly strive to develop the economy, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has also been continuously paying attention to environmental protection.
The recent 219 Anti-Air Pollution Parade was carried out in both Taichung and Kaohsiung. Mr. Wei-Fu Yang, Vice Minister of MOEA, received the petition from a representative in the Kaohsiung parade and explained that MOEA will make very active efforts to control and prevent air pollution. Such efforts will include improving the Dalin Power Plant, increasing natural gas power generation, and deploying protective screening in China Steel Corporation’s coal yard.
According to the analysis results on air quality provided by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), the pollution from outside of Taiwan, mobile sources, and industries, etc.affect jointly Taiwan’s air quality. Therefore, MOEA will actively cooperate with EPA on and other departments to improve air quality.
Regarding the industrial sources, MOEA will meet its goal of 50% electricity allocation by natural gas in 2025 by extending the Taichung and Yong'an natural gas terminals, as well as constructing a third natural gas terminal; reducing the use of boilers as much as possible by linking energy and resources in industrial parks. By the end of the year 2016, MOEA has assisted factories to stop using or tear down 154 boilers.
MOEA will further establish a certification system for green factories with cleaner production indexes and assist the industry to promote green capability. Currently 43 factories have obtained the green factory certification.
Regarding mobile sources, MOEA has promoted more than 60,000 electric scooters and 249 electric buses to operate with license plates, reducing the exposure risk of the commuters to air pollutants. As for other pollution sources, MOEA will continue to improve water environment and dust prevention work. From 2011 to 2015, the annual average concentration of suspended particulate matters (PM10) at surveying stations near the Gaoping River and Choushui River has dropped by 45% and 13%, respectively.