Download Taiwan`s efforts towards mitigating global climate change

Taiwan’s efforts towards mitigating global climate change
Since 2007, Taiwan has provided its diplomatic allies in Africa, Latin America
and the Asia Pacific with assistance in climate change mitigation and
adaptation through more than 30 projects (including bilateral or multilateral
cooperation projects still in progress). These cover a wide array of issues, such
as the monitoring and prevention of environmental pollution, waste
management, disaster prevention, forest restoration, biodiversity conservation,
agricultural technology, geographic information systems, remote sensing
technology, earthquake detection and solar power.
Taiwan is also a frontrunner in helping countries in East and Central Europe
and Central Asia to improve energy efficiency, as well as to meet climate
change challenges. Since September 2007, Taiwan has helped sponsor the
Sustainable Energy Initiative (SEI) put forward by the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). With the funds that Taiwan and
other countries have donated to the SEI, the EBRD is helping to ensure a
sustainable energy supply and promote energy efficiency, so as to reduce
pollution and mitigate climate change. Thus far, Taiwan has committed
US$2.8 million to various SEI projects. In addition, Taiwan’s International
Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) signed a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) with the EBRD to inject US$80 million into the
EBRD’s Green Energy Special Fund. This fund provides low-interest loans to
17 of the 26 countries that receive EBRD assistance to finance such green
technology as LED street lights and smart meters. It is estimated that the
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finance provided by the TaiwanICDF and the EBRD can help reduce carbon
emissions by 400,000 metric tons, with a value of US$13 million.
The TaiwanICDF is putting an increasing amount of its resources towards
projects related to climate change. Between 2009 and 2010, it cooperated with
UNDP/ClimSAT to implement the Territorial Approach to Climate Change
(TACC) program and develop regional management programs in various
towns in Nicaragua, such as Matagalpa. The program has helped to strengthen
the capacity of local governments to respond to emergencies caused by
climate change, as well as to train local personnel in using satellite images to
study the impact of climate change and formulate coping strategies
accordingly. From 2011 to 2012, the TACC program will be extended to other
countries in Central America to assist them in processing satellite images,
accessing meteorological information, mapping areas affected by climate
change, capacity building, developing renewable energy on the basis of
weather information and so forth.
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