TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啓明) revealed on Monday that Taiwan's Ministry of Environment (MOENV, 環境部) will establish a dedicated Air Quality Monitoring and Forecasting Center (空氣品質監測與預報中心) in a significant move to address growing environmental concerns. The initiative represents a substantial expansion of the island nation's environmental forecasting capabilities at a time when air quality issues have become increasingly prominent in public discourse.
According to Minister Peng, the proposal has already been submitted to the Executive Yuan, with plans for the center to be inaugurated within the first half of 2025. The ministry is also finalizing a comprehensive white paper on air quality policy, scheduled for public release in early April after its completion at the end of March. Peng emphasized that these initiatives reflect the government's commitment to tackling air quality challenges through a combination of scientific expertise and meaningful public participation.
In an innovative approach to policy development, the MOENV gathered 570 public suggestions during a month-long consultation period from Dec. 18 to Jan. 14. This process included creative engagement methods such as a "Good Air Wishing Pool" and regional "Good Air Citizen Cafes" held across three different areas of Taiwan. The initiative's importance was further underscored when the Legislative Yuan's Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee convened a special session with Minister Peng and representatives from multiple agencies including the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, 衛福部), Ministry of Education (MOE, 教育部), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA, 經濟部), Taiwan Power Company (台灣電力公司), and CPC Corporation, Taiwan (台灣中油公司) to examine the relationship between meteorological patterns and air quality.
During his presentation, Minister Peng outlined eight complex air quality challenges requiring significant technological and policy breakthroughs. He acknowledged a growing gap between public expectations for clean air and the government's current capabilities, suggesting that achieving net-zero emissions might ultimately be necessary to meet these expectations. Peng particularly highlighted the disproportionate impact of mobile pollution sources, primarily vehicles, which he characterized as more problematic than stationary industrial emissions in many urban areas.
Minister Peng emphasized the MOENV's ongoing collaboration with education and economic affairs ministries to tackle pollution sources near educational institutions and strengthen pollution reduction measures. As a concrete example of these efforts, he referenced a recent intervention at an asphalt manufacturing facility operating near Pingtung Shi-Zih Junior High School (屏東獅子國中), where officials worked to reduce smoke emissions and noxious odors affecting students. In a broader regulatory approach, the ministry has established 85 designated air quality maintenance zones throughout Taiwan, implementing restrictions on high-pollution vehicles within these sensitive areas.