The International Legal Concerns on Climate Change Regime: Taiwan’s Perspective

Climate change is an emerging environmental issue. To prevent possible trade sanctions from the industrialized trading partners, Taiwan proposed several policies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. This includes their preparation of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act is under legislature review and the Statute for Renewable Energy Management. Because Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations, it is excluded from participation in the United Nation Convention on Climate Change and lacks access to the flexible mechanisms defined under the Kyoto Protocol. The Taiwan Environment Protection Administration plans to encourage the local emitters to acquire foreign reduction credits to offset domestic emissions. This article approaches Taiwan’s mitigation policies and measures from an international legal perspective. It also introduces adaptation policies and recommends that the government establish a special national adaptation team to prepare data and criteria for risk prioritization. Finally, this paper recommends that the Parties of the UNFCCC adopt the ‘universal apply’principle for climate change and allow any governmental agency whose governing matters are covered by the convention, to participate and share emission-reduction responsibilities.