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Taiwan's EPA undergoes major restructure: Legislative Yuan approves new organizational reform bill

The Taiwan Legislative Yuan has passed a bill to reform the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA). As a result, the EPA will be transformed into the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and four new third-level agencies will be established, along with the National Environmental Research Institute. These new agencies will be responsible for addressing issues related to climate change, resource circulation, environmental management, and chemical substance management.

The bill comes in response to the global trend of achieving net-zero emissions and combating climate change. The government is shifting its focus from "managing natural resources" to "actively responding to the global environmental situation and creating opportunities for Taiwan's transition." By integrating responsibilities and expanding its operations, the government hopes to systematically address the five major environmental issues of climate change, resource circulation, chemical substance management, environmental quality management, and environmental science research.

The government envisions the following outcomes:

  1. Actively responding to climate change by strengthening Taiwan's policy development and implementation, implementing phase control objectives, and promoting carbon pricing and inventory mechanisms. By seeking out carbon reduction technologies and strategies, Taiwan can reduce international pressure and help domestic industries transition.
  2. Implementing circular economy, waste reduction, and reuse strategies by coordinating with various agencies to promote resource circulation, promoting waste regeneration and renewable energy, and analyzing and cataloging waste resources. By promoting sustainable consumption and product-friendly design, Taiwan aims to reduce the use of raw materials and increase resource efficiency, thus reducing environmental impact and moving towards the goal of sustainable resource circulation and zero waste.
  3. Expanding the scope of chemical substance management to include all chemicals used in Taiwan, achieving goals such as "extending source management beyond borders, reducing illegal intercepts and preventing environmental disasters", "integrated disaster response and prevention to reduce damage", "comprehensive information sharing to reduce health risks", and "ensuring toxic-free and sustainable resource management in line with international conventions."
  4. Strengthening digital technology-based environmental law enforcement and using intelligent and internet-based methods to process general waste, manage environmental hygiene, and enhance investigation and control techniques. Taiwan aims to enhance soil and groundwater restoration and carbon sequestration capabilities to achieve sustainable management of soil and water resources. By strengthening pollution control, Taiwan aims to create low-risk living environments and develop healthy and sustainable communities.
  5. Developing research on climate change and resource circulation, improving environmental risk assessment and management technology, promoting net-zero transition, cultivating professional talent, and building a national environmental think tank by integrating research resources across the country to provide long-term, stable support for national environmental protection policies.

The Legislative Yuan has also proposed the establishment of a natural resource integration and governance task force under the Executive Yuan to address controversial issues related to natural resource management. The task force will be responsible for developing upper-level governance policies, and the Executive Yuan will appoint suitable personnel to plan and implement the policies with the assistance of relevant government agencies.

According to the EPA, the transformation into the Ministry of Environmental Protection will allow Taiwan to more effectively promote green economy and sustainable development policies, and by continuing to promote environmental education and awareness, Taiwan can work towards achieving its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and preserving a healthy environment for future generations. 

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