Taiwan highlights participation in net zero goal as COP27 opens in Egypt

Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) changed the profile photograph of its Facebook page on Sunday to highlight Taiwan’s participation in efforts to achieve the global goal of net zero emissions by 2050 as an annual climate change conference opened in Egypt earlier in the day.

The new profile photo reads: “Net-Zero World with Help from Taiwan.”

The change was made to echo the opening on Sunday of the 27th Conference of the Parties of the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), also known as COP27, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, which will run until Nov. 18.

Since its first conference was held in Berlin in 1995, the COP is held annually to assess progress in dealing with climate change and to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol to establish legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

As Taiwan, officially named the Republic of China (ROC), is not recognized as a member of the United Nations, it is excluded from the UNFCCC.

Some Taiwanese officials and NGOs are able to participate in COP sessions in their private capacity via the limited quota of NGO participants.

Taiwan’s government has been calling on UNFCCC Secretariat to officially invite Taiwan to attend the COP but to no avail.

According to Jason Lien (連建辰), head of MOFA’s legal department, Taiwan’s government has this year once again asked like-minded countries and its diplomatic allies to speak up on Taiwan’s behalf at COP27 being held in Egypt.

They will speak up or write joint letters to the UNFCCC Secretariat asking that Taiwan be allowed to participate in global mechanisms, negotiations, and activities that promote the implementation of the Paris Agreement in the same way as any other country, he said.

Though Taiwan is excluded, the government has already pledged to take concrete actions in order to meet the Net-Zero Emissions in 2050 goal, Lien said.

In March 2022, Taiwan officially published “Taiwan’s Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050” to promote technology R&D and innovation in key areas, guide the green transition of industry, and drive a new wave of economic growth, he added.

According to Lien, at least 10 Taiwan-based NGOs have been invited to this year’s COP27.

(By Joseph Yeh)Endtime/HY