Yeni Wong understands the science of global warming better than anyone else in DC’s Chinatown. Her interest was sparked when she was a graduate student at the University of Illinois, studying chemistry with the legendary faculty there, who realized that humanity’s pell-mell burning of fossil fuels could make the earth a vastly different—and warmer—place.
Yeni Wong, an advisory commissioner for the Overseas Community Affairs Council, Republic of China (Taiwan) in the United States, is considered a leading champion who called for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to include Taiwan in the fight to combat climate change. Taiwan—a thriving, independent democracy of twenty-three million—has been excluded from participation as a state in the UN climate conference despite the much-touted urgency about reaching a global deal.
“For years, academics and nongovernmental organizations around the world have recognized climate change as a threat to betterment of environment and global prosperity—shaping a world that is more unstable, resource-constrained, violent, and disaster-prone. This issue is critically important, and the impacts are real, and the costs of inaction are unacceptable. World leaders must think past tomorrow to focus on this growing problem and take action not only in politics, but also in economics, science, and culture,” Yeni said in a statement.
“Two thousand fifteen was a crucial year in the global effort to tackle climate change. In early December (2015), more than 190 countries will meet for a global climate summit in Paris (UNFCCC/COP21). The aim of the Paris meeting was to design and agree on a robust and dynamic deal capable of restricting the global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius compared to preindustrial times and avoid the worst impacts of climate change,” she said. “However, at this watershed moment, Taiwan was absent among the nations that take part in the climate summit, despite the fact that the island is willing to commit to reducing its carbon emissions proactively.”
Yeni emphasized that the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) clearly indicates that there’s no room for doubt with regard to the severity of climate change and that no country is immune to its impact. The UNFCCC serves as an important platform for sharing global climate information. Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UNFCCC would enable it to pursue more bilateral and multilateral opportunities to join the global climate network so as to exchange ideas and share experiences concerning climate change.
“Indeed, climate change is a wicked problem that requires changes to our current lifestyle, a strong commitment to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions, as well as participation and cooperation of all stakeholders, including Taiwan. Despite its exclusion from the UNFCCC, Taiwan continues to pursue greenhouse gas emissions reductions domestically. Taiwan is ready and willing to contribute to international efforts aimed at finding feasible solutions and therefore calls on nations to support its bid for observer status in the UNFCCC,” Yeni said.
“Taiwan is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, especially as it is located in one of the most meteorologically and geologically sensitive regions in the world. For example, Typhoon Morakot, which struck Taiwan in 2009, brought the heaviest rainfall in Taiwan’s recorded history, leading to massive landslides and causing the death of seven hundred people. A total of $3.63 billion has been spent on reconstruction efforts following this major disaster. Furthermore, climate change would also promote the growth of pests and the propagation of vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever, causing significant impact on public health,” a choked-up Yeni said during a brief interview.
“Although Taiwan has been excluded from the UNFCCC and its related mechanisms, it remains keen to join international efforts aimed at saving energy and reducing carbon emissions. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan actively cooperates with other countries. It is not only willing to share its own knowledge and experience, but also eager to learn more about new technologies and ideas regarding GHG emissions reduction, adaptation, and mitigation. Taiwan is committed to contributing to the fight against climate change and is one of the few countries to have voluntarily announced reduction targets for carbon dioxide emissions,” Yeni said.
“Taiwan has been striving to improve energy efficiency by more than 2 percent per year in the period 2008 to 2015, so as to reduce energy intensity by more than 20 percent by 2015 compared to 2005 levels, and by 50 percent by 2050. The joint efforts of the government and the public have also enabled Taiwan to reduce energy intensity by an average of 2.46 percent annually, while its per-capita carbon emissions have dropped from eighteenth in the world to twenty-first, a significant improvement in energy efficiency. With improved access to relevant information and resources, Taiwan’s inclusion in the UNFCCC would strengthen our capacity-building efforts and accelerate the aforementioned transformation,” she said.
Taiwan is a world leader in renewable-energy-technology innovation and is well positioned to move toward a green economy. Taiwan is the world’s second largest producer of solar cells, with an annual turnover of around two hundred billion NTD, although 98 percent of cells are for export. Taiwan also has some of the world’s best conditions for locating wind farms. Since 2007, Taiwan has provided its diplomatic allies in Africa, Latin America, and Asia Pacific with assistance in climate change mitigation and adaptation through more than thirty projects. Taiwan is also a front-runner in helping countries in eastern and central Europe and central Asia to improve energy efficiency as well as to meet climate change challenges.
The citizens of the world deserve all hands on deck as the effort to combat climate change assumes ever-increasing importance. Taiwan has, for many years, worked to sign bilateral agreements and engage in multilateral cooperation in an effort to respond to the policies advocated by the UNFCCC. For instance, in order to conform to the 2015 Paris Agreement that was reached under the UNFCCC at the end of 2015 Taiwan has also drafted its “Intended Nationally Determined Contribution” in response to the Lima Call for Climate Action issued in Peru in 2014. This further demonstrates Taiwan’s determination to continue to participate in the UNFCCC process.
“This global problem demands a truly global solution,” Yeni reiterated. “No country is immune to the effects of global warming, so it is of extreme importance that we address these challenges in a global manner to ensure our planet’s sustainable development. The challenge presented by climate change will require all of us to do more with less. For countries like Taiwan, it has a great deal to offer the international community in a vast number of areas. Its prolonged exclusion from the UNFCCC serves neither its interests nor those of the global community. The new UNFCCC agreement will not be complete without Taiwan’s participation.”
The UNFCCC is a key instrument to deal with climate change, and most analysts believe that the governments of the world have been too slow to act—that is, it is already too late to avert the catastrophic consequences of climate change. The people of Taiwan will push ahead in the fight against climate change, but exclusion from the UNFCCC hampers the country’s best efforts. Not only does that put the Taiwanese people at a disadvantage, but it also diminishes the response to the rising temperatures seen worldwide. In the face of such a grim outlook, support for Taiwan’s bid to participate in the UNFCCC as an observer cannot wait.
With the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012, countries around the world negotiated a new agreement that was signed in 2015 under the UNFCCC that would be signed in 2015 and go into effect in 2020, replacing the Kyoto Protocol. Indeed, we now have a unique opportunity to create more flexibility in the UNFCCC process so that climate change can be tackled more effectively. Yeni called on the international community to support Taiwan’s bid to participate in the UNFCCC as an observer.
“The island’s twenty-three million people view climate change as a crucial issue that needs to be urgently addressed,” Yeni said passionately during a speech. “According to a survey carried out by the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy on twenty-sixth April 2015, 90.7 percent of the Taiwanese public believe that climate change is happening, and 89.2 percent support the government to pass the beleaguered GHG reduction bill. Taiwan has demonstrated its will to join the global effort to tackling climate change by making a voluntary contribution that incorporates a stringent GHG reduction target, and Taiwanese people expressed their desire for Taiwan’s voice to be heard at the upcoming global climate summit.”
Anthropogenic climate change has become a major threat to countries around the world. A long-term commitment is therefore required to deal with the challenges posed by climate change. We have an opportunity for a real breakthrough on global climate policy that has important implications for all of us. The inclusion of Taiwan would offer a great boost to the global fight against climate change.
“The global problem demands a global solution. Citizens of the world and followers of different faiths deserve every hand on deck as efforts to make sure that global warming doesn’t reach dangerous levels. However, Taiwan has been excluded from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its related mechanisms, even though the island nation is willing to commit to reducing its carbon emissions proactively,” said Yeni.
Taiwan is an island located west of the Pacific Ocean, midway between Japan and the Philippines. Its area is 13,892 square miles, and it has twenty-three million inhabitants. Like any island nation, Taiwan is particularly concerned by a possible rise in the sea levels if global warming does not stop. Years ago, many concrete measures were taken for the protection of the environment. The best example is the selective sorting of household waste in Taipei, with the immediate effect that over 95 percent of waste is correctly sorted out.
Although not being allowed to participate in the UNFCCC work, Taiwan has beaten future agreements by adopting the law on the reduction of greenhouse gases from June 15, 2015, in effect from July 1. On September 17, 2015, the general directorate for the protection of the environment announced the objectives of Taiwan in this field: a reduction of 50 percent in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, equivalent to a decrease of 20 percent compared to 2005 emissions.
The challenges posed by climate change have continued to grow during the past decade. Climate change knows no boundaries, and there is an urgent need to combat this worrying trend together. If UNFCCC continuously excluded Taiwan from membership, what message would that send to the rest of the world? Yeni has advocated more strongly than anyone that Taiwan be included in the UNFCCC campaign. I have no doubt that she takes great pride in calling for the inclusion of all nations, including Taiwan, in the UNFCCC.
The ITAS (the Institute for Taiwan-America Studies) has played a vital role in calling for the UNFCCC to include Taiwan in the fight to combat climate change. Almost as soon as Yeni was elected as chairperson of ITAS in 2015, she began calling for the United States to support “Taiwan’s membership in international organizations that do not require statehood as a condition of membership.”
In conclusion, Yeni stated that the global problem demands a global solution. Citizens of the world deserve the support of every country in efforts to make sure that global warming doesn’t reach dangerous levels. But as the planet edges closer toward environmental tipping points from which we could never recover, there is an urgent need to invite Taiwan to join the global climate fight. The most important chapters in Yeni’s story may remain to be written with this initiative.
Yeni Wong, an advisory commissioner for the Overseas Community Affairs Council, Republic of China (Taiwan) in the United States, is considered a leading champion who called for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to include Taiwan in the fight to combat climate change. Taiwan—a thriving, independent democracy of twenty-three million—has been excluded from participation as a state in the UN climate conference despite the much-touted urgency about reaching a global deal.
“For years, academics and nongovernmental organizations around the world have recognized climate change as a threat to betterment of environment and global prosperity—shaping a world that is more unstable, resource-constrained, violent, and disaster-prone. This issue is critically important, and the impacts are real, and the costs of inaction are unacceptable. World leaders must think past tomorrow to focus on this growing problem and take action not only in politics, but also in economics, science, and culture,” Yeni said in a statement.
“Two thousand fifteen was a crucial year in the global effort to tackle climate change. In early December (2015), more than 190 countries will meet for a global climate summit in Paris (UNFCCC/COP21). The aim of the Paris meeting was to design and agree on a robust and dynamic deal capable of restricting the global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius compared to preindustrial times and avoid the worst impacts of climate change,” she said. “However, at this watershed moment, Taiwan was absent among the nations that take part in the climate summit, despite the fact that the island is willing to commit to reducing its carbon emissions proactively.”
Yeni emphasized that the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) clearly indicates that there’s no room for doubt with regard to the severity of climate change and that no country is immune to its impact. The UNFCCC serves as an important platform for sharing global climate information. Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UNFCCC would enable it to pursue more bilateral and multilateral opportunities to join the global climate network so as to exchange ideas and share experiences concerning climate change.
“Indeed, climate change is a wicked problem that requires changes to our current lifestyle, a strong commitment to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions, as well as participation and cooperation of all stakeholders, including Taiwan. Despite its exclusion from the UNFCCC, Taiwan continues to pursue greenhouse gas emissions reductions domestically. Taiwan is ready and willing to contribute to international efforts aimed at finding feasible solutions and therefore calls on nations to support its bid for observer status in the UNFCCC,” Yeni said.
“Taiwan is vulnerable to the effects of climate change, especially as it is located in one of the most meteorologically and geologically sensitive regions in the world. For example, Typhoon Morakot, which struck Taiwan in 2009, brought the heaviest rainfall in Taiwan’s recorded history, leading to massive landslides and causing the death of seven hundred people. A total of $3.63 billion has been spent on reconstruction efforts following this major disaster. Furthermore, climate change would also promote the growth of pests and the propagation of vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever, causing significant impact on public health,” a choked-up Yeni said during a brief interview.
“Although Taiwan has been excluded from the UNFCCC and its related mechanisms, it remains keen to join international efforts aimed at saving energy and reducing carbon emissions. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan actively cooperates with other countries. It is not only willing to share its own knowledge and experience, but also eager to learn more about new technologies and ideas regarding GHG emissions reduction, adaptation, and mitigation. Taiwan is committed to contributing to the fight against climate change and is one of the few countries to have voluntarily announced reduction targets for carbon dioxide emissions,” Yeni said.
“Taiwan has been striving to improve energy efficiency by more than 2 percent per year in the period 2008 to 2015, so as to reduce energy intensity by more than 20 percent by 2015 compared to 2005 levels, and by 50 percent by 2050. The joint efforts of the government and the public have also enabled Taiwan to reduce energy intensity by an average of 2.46 percent annually, while its per-capita carbon emissions have dropped from eighteenth in the world to twenty-first, a significant improvement in energy efficiency. With improved access to relevant information and resources, Taiwan’s inclusion in the UNFCCC would strengthen our capacity-building efforts and accelerate the aforementioned transformation,” she said.
Taiwan is a world leader in renewable-energy-technology innovation and is well positioned to move toward a green economy. Taiwan is the world’s second largest producer of solar cells, with an annual turnover of around two hundred billion NTD, although 98 percent of cells are for export. Taiwan also has some of the world’s best conditions for locating wind farms. Since 2007, Taiwan has provided its diplomatic allies in Africa, Latin America, and Asia Pacific with assistance in climate change mitigation and adaptation through more than thirty projects. Taiwan is also a front-runner in helping countries in eastern and central Europe and central Asia to improve energy efficiency as well as to meet climate change challenges.
The citizens of the world deserve all hands on deck as the effort to combat climate change assumes ever-increasing importance. Taiwan has, for many years, worked to sign bilateral agreements and engage in multilateral cooperation in an effort to respond to the policies advocated by the UNFCCC. For instance, in order to conform to the 2015 Paris Agreement that was reached under the UNFCCC at the end of 2015 Taiwan has also drafted its “Intended Nationally Determined Contribution” in response to the Lima Call for Climate Action issued in Peru in 2014. This further demonstrates Taiwan’s determination to continue to participate in the UNFCCC process.
“This global problem demands a truly global solution,” Yeni reiterated. “No country is immune to the effects of global warming, so it is of extreme importance that we address these challenges in a global manner to ensure our planet’s sustainable development. The challenge presented by climate change will require all of us to do more with less. For countries like Taiwan, it has a great deal to offer the international community in a vast number of areas. Its prolonged exclusion from the UNFCCC serves neither its interests nor those of the global community. The new UNFCCC agreement will not be complete without Taiwan’s participation.”
The UNFCCC is a key instrument to deal with climate change, and most analysts believe that the governments of the world have been too slow to act—that is, it is already too late to avert the catastrophic consequences of climate change. The people of Taiwan will push ahead in the fight against climate change, but exclusion from the UNFCCC hampers the country’s best efforts. Not only does that put the Taiwanese people at a disadvantage, but it also diminishes the response to the rising temperatures seen worldwide. In the face of such a grim outlook, support for Taiwan’s bid to participate in the UNFCCC as an observer cannot wait.
With the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012, countries around the world negotiated a new agreement that was signed in 2015 under the UNFCCC that would be signed in 2015 and go into effect in 2020, replacing the Kyoto Protocol. Indeed, we now have a unique opportunity to create more flexibility in the UNFCCC process so that climate change can be tackled more effectively. Yeni called on the international community to support Taiwan’s bid to participate in the UNFCCC as an observer.
“The island’s twenty-three million people view climate change as a crucial issue that needs to be urgently addressed,” Yeni said passionately during a speech. “According to a survey carried out by the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy on twenty-sixth April 2015, 90.7 percent of the Taiwanese public believe that climate change is happening, and 89.2 percent support the government to pass the beleaguered GHG reduction bill. Taiwan has demonstrated its will to join the global effort to tackling climate change by making a voluntary contribution that incorporates a stringent GHG reduction target, and Taiwanese people expressed their desire for Taiwan’s voice to be heard at the upcoming global climate summit.”
Anthropogenic climate change has become a major threat to countries around the world. A long-term commitment is therefore required to deal with the challenges posed by climate change. We have an opportunity for a real breakthrough on global climate policy that has important implications for all of us. The inclusion of Taiwan would offer a great boost to the global fight against climate change.
“The global problem demands a global solution. Citizens of the world and followers of different faiths deserve every hand on deck as efforts to make sure that global warming doesn’t reach dangerous levels. However, Taiwan has been excluded from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its related mechanisms, even though the island nation is willing to commit to reducing its carbon emissions proactively,” said Yeni.
Taiwan is an island located west of the Pacific Ocean, midway between Japan and the Philippines. Its area is 13,892 square miles, and it has twenty-three million inhabitants. Like any island nation, Taiwan is particularly concerned by a possible rise in the sea levels if global warming does not stop. Years ago, many concrete measures were taken for the protection of the environment. The best example is the selective sorting of household waste in Taipei, with the immediate effect that over 95 percent of waste is correctly sorted out.
Although not being allowed to participate in the UNFCCC work, Taiwan has beaten future agreements by adopting the law on the reduction of greenhouse gases from June 15, 2015, in effect from July 1. On September 17, 2015, the general directorate for the protection of the environment announced the objectives of Taiwan in this field: a reduction of 50 percent in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, equivalent to a decrease of 20 percent compared to 2005 emissions.
The challenges posed by climate change have continued to grow during the past decade. Climate change knows no boundaries, and there is an urgent need to combat this worrying trend together. If UNFCCC continuously excluded Taiwan from membership, what message would that send to the rest of the world? Yeni has advocated more strongly than anyone that Taiwan be included in the UNFCCC campaign. I have no doubt that she takes great pride in calling for the inclusion of all nations, including Taiwan, in the UNFCCC.
The ITAS (the Institute for Taiwan-America Studies) has played a vital role in calling for the UNFCCC to include Taiwan in the fight to combat climate change. Almost as soon as Yeni was elected as chairperson of ITAS in 2015, she began calling for the United States to support “Taiwan’s membership in international organizations that do not require statehood as a condition of membership.”
In conclusion, Yeni stated that the global problem demands a global solution. Citizens of the world deserve the support of every country in efforts to make sure that global warming doesn’t reach dangerous levels. But as the planet edges closer toward environmental tipping points from which we could never recover, there is an urgent need to invite Taiwan to join the global climate fight. The most important chapters in Yeni’s story may remain to be written with this initiative.