TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) on Monday (Oct. 21) urged the central government to allocate carbon fees for supporting high-emission industries to reduce carbon output.
The central government will begin collecting carbon fees in January 2025. Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) recently advocated for at least 80% of these fees to remain local.
During an event at the Taiwan Carbon Solution Exchange (台灣碳權交易所), Chen Chi-mai emphasized that carbon fees should support companies with carbon reduction plans.
He suggested that the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA, 經濟部) and the Ministry of Environmental (MOENV, 環境部) should consider using these fees for investment or policy subsidies to accelerate industrial transformation.
Chen highlighted that the carbon fee targets industries emitting over 25,000 tons. He recommended government subsidies for companies' carbon reduction initiatives, helping them prepare for a future with carbon tariffs or pricing.
Chen also mentioned the financial sector's role in supporting large emitters from a sustainable finance perspective. He called on the Financial Supervisory Commission (金融監督管理委員會) to prioritize industries with significant carbon reductions or robust plans.