After the passage of the Climate Change Response Act (hereafter referred to as the Climate Act) in 2023, Taiwan made a significant step forward in designing its climate governance framework. This article, written by Tang Lin-Hsiang of the Environmental Rights Foundation, offers an in-depth analysis of the institutional developments and bottlenecks encountered in the two years since the Climate Act came into force. It highlights ongoing core challenges in Taiwan’s climate governance, such as insufficient inter-ministerial coordination and a weak central decision-making mechanism. The article focuses on the yet-to-be-fulfilled institutional transformation of the Executive Yuan’s National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD), stressing the urgent need to strengthen its functional authority.
During the era of the previous Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) bore almost sole responsibility for climate governance. The lack of clarity in ministerial responsibilities hindered emissions reduction efforts in high-emitting sectors such as renewable energy, transport, and manufacturing. Although Article 8 of the Climate Act clarified the roles of various ministries, interdepartmental issues—such as promoting electric vehicles and ensuring a just transition—still lack a central institution with the power to coordinate and integrate efforts. During the legislative process, civil society groups had advocated for the creation of a powerful "Climate Cabinet," but ultimately, this role was assigned to the NCSD, which has existed for nearly three decades. Despite its institutional potential in terms of legal foundation, organizational level, and composition, the NCSD has failed to function effectively as a policy integration platform due to inadequate resources and staffing.
Currently, the NCSD’s secretariat is staffed by only two personnel seconded from the National Development Council, with a 2024 budget of merely NT$19 million (about USD 600,000). This is grossly disproportionate to its workload and severely limits its capacity to offer independent analysis and decision-making, especially on cross-cutting issues such as Taiwan’s “12 Key Strategies for Net-Zero.” By contrast, the Executive Yuan’s Food Safety Council operates with a dedicated office and more sufficient staffing, underscoring the institutional weakness of the NCSD. Moreover, while the NCSD does include a special working group on "Climate Change and Carbon Reduction," it meets infrequently, and scholars and civil society representatives are often sidelined—unable to substantially influence policy direction or engage in inter-ministerial coordination.
A notable development in 2024 was President Lai Ching-te’s establishment of the National Climate Change Strategy Committee under the Presidential Office, elevating climate governance to the highest political level. While this move reflects strong political will, it has also raised concerns about overlapping governance structures and unclear authority. Given the instability of presidential transitions, the NCSD—as the legally mandated coordination platform under the Climate Act—should be positioned as the mainstay of long-term climate governance.
The article’s central call is to fundamentally strengthen the NCSD’s function and position. Only by expanding its staff, increasing the frequency of meetings, and granting it real coordination authority can the NCSD evolve into a true “brain” of Taiwan’s climate governance. Facing the challenge of net-zero by 2050, the system must be more than a legal shell—it must be an operational engine. Without substantive functionality, even the most well-designed laws will struggle against political realities and bureaucratic inertia.
This article is essential reading for anyone interested in climate governance, policy design, and net-zero transition. It invites us to reassess whether Taiwan’s climate governance framework is truly equipped to fight the hard battles ahead. With the new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) expected ahead of the upcoming COP summit, a robust institutional foundation and decision-making platform are critical. Climate governance begins with systems—and only when those systems are truly alive, can the future be secured.
Source: China Times News
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