The green energy revolution is a painful process that requires change from governments, businesses, families, and individuals.
Friedman said that a "revolution" without pain is not a revolution, but a "party." What we should pursue is a green "revolution," not a green "party." In Taiwan, what green revolutions have businesses, individuals, and groups promoted? What have they sacrificed? And what have been the resulting joy and achievements?
Low electricity prices cannot incentivize an energy-saving and green energy revolution; the status quo must change.
Du Yueyuan stated that, for the power industry, emission reduction should focus on two aspects: "reducing emission intensity" and "saving electricity." Regarding emission intensity, currently, Taiwanese citizens emit approximately 0.623 kilograms of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed, higher than in Europe, Japan, and South Korea. High emission intensity will hinder sustainable economic development in the low-carbon era (due to increased electricity consumption); therefore, effectively reducing emission intensity necessitates discussing the energy structure.
Whether it's constructing renewable energy power generation facilities or developing carbon dioxide reduction technologies, substantial investments are required. According to internal estimates by Taipower, the carbon reduction cost for onshore wind power is approximately NT$2,300 per ton, for offshore wind power it's approximately NT$4,500 per ton, and for solar photovoltaic power it's as high as NT$13,600 per ton. If these high costs are not fully reflected in electricity prices, the power industry will struggle to operate sustainably. Furthermore, low electricity prices will fail to incentivize effective electricity conservation and may even distort market mechanisms, negatively impacting the environment. We must establish a correct understanding: the green energy revolution requires changing the status quo and incurring costs to create a low-carbon society.
Energy conservation policies and smart grids encourage individuals and households to change their energy usage.
What is the daily carbon footprint of each person living in Taipei? According to the 2008 energy consumption survey, converted into greenhouse gas emissions, the daily carbon footprint is approximately 17.1 kilograms, far exceeding the scientists' recommended upper limit of 5.47 kilograms per person per day. The Earth's average temperature continues to rise, which is closely related to everyone's daily life, but it's unlikely we can return to a primitive lifestyle. So what should we do? Chang Yang-kan, editor-in-chief of a low-carbon blog who is a carbon reduction expert and calculates his carbon footprint daily, stated that changes in individual behavior require policy changes. Taipower's electricity saving and cost-saving policies have encouraged significant changes in individuals and households. He hopes Taipower can be more proactive in promoting renewable energy and smart grids. He also noted that Taipower's electricity discount policy effectively encourages people to pay attention to their daily energy consumption; electricity bills could be changed to monthly notifications, or a system like the energy labeling system could be implemented, categorizing household electricity and water consumption to encourage top performers to continue their efforts. Furthermore, he encouraged people to register online to know their per capita electricity consumption.
Enterprises are taking the lead in carbon reduction and making every effort to improve competitiveness.
The transportation industry has a significant impact on global warming due to CO2 emissions. Along with manufacturing and the power industry, it is one of the three major sectors contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 14% of total emissions. Yang Shuyuan, Performance Management Manager at DHL, stated that DHL recognizes this as a battle against climate change, with nearly 500,000 employees and branches worldwide working together to achieve this goal. DHL has also committed to improving its carbon efficiency by 10% in 2012 and aims to reach 30% by 2020. It also hopes to continue its collaboration with non-profit organizations through the Go Green initiative to achieve this objective.
–Source: Yahoo News
