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2010 Taiwan and Africa Environmental Leaders Meeting final report

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In response to the current trend of global climate change, this project was developed to implement the “2010 Taiwan and Africa Environmental Leaders Meeting” developed by Taiwan EPA, jointly with Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be held on March 17, 2010. In this event many African Environmental Ministers and Officials were invited for the sharing of experience on technology to achieve target on mutual prosperity and developing multi- and bilateral cooperation mechanism on environmental protection. It has also been an opportunity for jointly developing carbon credit business subsequently, for making the best efforts on the objective of sustainable development and mitigation of the global climate change. The “2010 Taiwan and Africa Environmental Leaders Meeting” was held on March 17 held at the Taipei Grand Hyatt, with 250 attendees totally. A total of 28 African representatives, including environmental ministers and senior officials from Burkina Faso, Gambia, São Tomé e Príncipe and Kingdom of Swaziland, and also representatives from Libya, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa as well as full participation of their ambassadors and representatives stationed in Taiwan for full understanding and opinion exchanges on this issue. The opening ceremony was officiated by Dr. Stephen Shu-hung Shen, Minister of Taiwan EPA, Executive Yuan, and Mr. Timothy Chin-tien Yang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, jointly. Dr. Robert K. Dixon, Climate Change and Chemicals team leader from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) was invited as keynote speaker in sharing contemporary global policies on climate change issue and participating in the notable milestone of cooperation between Taiwan and African countries on climate change. The program was followed by the Forum on “Climate Change and Sustainable Development”, hosted by the Minister Shen, with official Ministerial participants from the four African countries and Dr. Robert Dixon dialoguing on the issue of responding global climate change and sustainable development. It started with Minister Shen’s indication on the policy and developments in responding the global climate change in Taiwan followed by related description on issues and developments from each African country mostly focus on forest management and renewable energy, mainly on solar power. Dr. Robert Dixon indicated we need to achieve cooperation based on partnership as ground, and ended with an old saying "act locally; think globally”. This session ended with enunciating the "Consensus of the 2010 Taiwan and Africa Environmental Leaders Meeting” with cooperative actions on: (1) long-term dialogue mechanism on environmental protection among the States (2) sharing experiences and technologies of implementing sustainable agriculture and forestry, water resources management, waste management, and other sustainable development priorities; (3) capacity building for climate change response, and the development and implementation of cooperative programs on impacts and adaptation; and (4) through mechanisms such as carbon finance market incentives to promote renewable energy technology transfer. Bilateral meetings between environmental ministers of Taiwan and African countries were arranged in the afternoon for more understanding, promoting bilateral communications, and strengthening connection channels as well as the issues and policies over environmental protection. In summary, the African countries were focus on forestation and ecological protection, as well as renewable energy. It also includes waste management, coastal management from coastal countries, and other related management mechanism. It will become scopes as cooperation developments and further ground and content of program development. In the meantime, sessions of workshop with themes “Resource Recycling and Adaptation” and “Low-carbon Energy Technology and Carbon Market Development” were held, chaired by Dr. Wen-Yan Chiau, Vice Minister of Taiwan EPA, and Dr. Robert Jih-Chang Yang of ITRI individually. Five topics were “Taiwan’s Experience of General Waste Management” Presented by Mr. Ching-Chung Huang, “The Cooperation Vision on Adaptation to Climate Change between Taiwan and Africa” by Dr. Chea-Yuan Young, for first session, and “ Trends for Renewable Energy Technology Development in Taiwan” by Dr. Simon Chin-Yu Tung, “ Specific Introduction: 2iE : An International and Multicultural Scientific and Training Platform in the Heart of Africa” by Mr. Paul Ginies from 2iE, “ The Opportunities on Clean Development Mechanism and Carbon Credit Management” by Dr. Fan, Chien-Te for second session. The presentation by Mr. Paul Ginies, Executive Director of 2iE, explicated the development of African regional education institute, 2iE, across 14 countries with program on regional development in the fields of water resources and renewable energy. He indicated the scale of ITRI in Taiwan will be the development goal of 2iE. The “2010 Taiwan and Africa Environmental Leaders Meeting” finalized with Head Representatives’ audience with President Ma accompanied by Minister Shen as perfect ending. For full understanding on the infrastructure on environment and energy, the organizer arranged the guest attendees from abroad visiting Tamshui Solar City/ Sustainable Education Center of Taipei County, Bali Refuse Incineration Plant and Bali Landfill Site on March 16. And in the morning of March 18, a specific arrangement, the organizer arranged a visiting to the National Palace Museum, so that guests would be in excellent feeling about Taiwan on their way home. In short, it has been a successful international meeting. Taiwan will further invite related industries’ involvements for possible carbon credits developing project. As non-signatory country of UNFCCC currently, Taiwan would seek possibilities for participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or alternatives to avoid marginalization in the carbon trading in the future accompanying with severe impacts on economic development. The African countries are a new index area for our investments for carbon management, developing investments for accruing carbon credits to be transferring and offsetting in the global carbon market. This International Meeting will become an excellent opportunity for developing regional carbon credit management cooperation between Taiwan and African area.
Keyword
Environmental Leaders Meeting;Environmental Leaders Meeting;global climate change
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