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Kayleigh Madjar/ Staff writer, CNA
There are no businesses that have yet applied to plant trees to receive carbon offset credits. However, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), said yesterday that they would need to evaluate whether trading credits on an existing platform for carbon mitigation efforts would be a good idea.
These comments were in response media reports that the Water Resources Agency had chosen areas in Nantou Countys Dongpu ()Taoyuans Shihmen Reservoir ()for carbon sinks, reforestation, or afforestation.
Carbon sinks, whether natural or artificial, are carbon storage devices that capture and store carbon for a specified period. It is a highly efficient carbon offset system that is essential for achieving net-zero emission.
Photo: Lo Chi, Taipei Times
The reports claim that credits for planting forests cannot be calculated because the EPA hasn’t proposed a system to calculate carbon credits or permits to emit certain amounts to create carbon sinks.
The EPA refuted the claim, stating the Council of Agriculture has since 2000 implemented detailed incentives in favor of afforestation.
The proposal of the National Development Councils for net-zero emission by 2050 estimates that 21.4 Million tonnes of carbon were stored in the nation’s forests in 2019. Director-General of Department of Environmental Sanitation and Toxic Substance Management Tsai Lingyi ()Reporters were informed.
Tsai stated that the company hopes to reach 22.5million tonnes by 2050.
Tsai explained that carbon credits for reducing emission can be obtained through EPAs National Greenhouse Gas Registry.
She cited as examples the proposals of Taipei 101 to switch energy-efficient lightbulbs, and by a Changhua County farmer to use biogas to power.
She stated that she has not yet seen any business apply to offset their emissions by creating a forest-carbon sink.
Tsai stated that in principle, a hectare can capture around 10 tonnes of carbon per annum. This pales in comparison with the 100 tonnes saved annually by Taipei 101 switching the lights in its parking lot.
She said that carbon sinks have other ecological and environmental benefits that cannot be calculated in a single way.
She said that including forest carbon sinks into the carbon trading program would require additional research to take these additional benefits into consideration.
She added that Taiwan’s small size makes it necessary to assess the area available for planting in a more thorough manner.
Tsai stated that the Ocean Affairs Council is currently examining the possibility of incentivizing the creation of oceanic carbon sinks.
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