'Law for Greenhouse Gases Reduction' May Be Enacted Soon

Taipei, April 28, 2009 (CENS)--The draft "Law for Greenhouse Gases Reduction" is likely to be enacted within the current session of the Legislative Yuan, May 31, thanks to the consensus on its contents reached in a meeting between the Cabinet-level Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and representatives of six major business groups yesterday (April 27).

The consensus has been achieved mainly due to the concessions of the EPA to lower the requirements of the draft bill to a level comparable to other countries, notably the exclusion of the specific targeted amount and timetable for greenhouse-gases reduction, which will make the requirements inflexible.

Meanwhile, the fine for excessive greenhouse-gases emission will be cut to NT$1,500 per metric ton, down from NT$2,000 in the current draft, compared with NT$1,200 set by the European Union, and that for refusal of inspection and registration, as well as unauthorized emission, will be lowered to NT$100,000 to NT$1 million, down from NT$200,000 to NT$2 million in the draft, comparable to the levels in the EU, the UK, Japan, Singapore, and Korea.

The use of credit rights purchased abroad in the quota of greenhouse-gases emission will be raised to 50% at maximum, higher than original 35%.

Meanwhile, voluntary reduction made by enterprises before the enactment of the law can be used in offsetting greenhouse-gases emission, or the trading of credit right, in the future, with the right applicable to such effort made after 2000. In addition, the base year for greenhouse-gases reduction will be set at 2000, with the law targeting to cut the island's total emission of greenhouses gases to the 2000 level by 2025.