TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A group of legislators called on the Taiwanese government on Thursday (Sept. 24) to set forth a clear strategy to address challenges brought about by climate change.

Five lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) joined Deputy Director Hsu Huang-hsiung (許晃雄) of Academia Sinica’s Research Center for Environmental Changes in holding a press conference on the urgent need to adopt measures against extreme weather events, wrote CNA.

The four initiatives they proposed include pushing for the 2050 zero-emission objective, setting out a Taiwanese Green Deal modeled on the European Green Deal, drafting a Climate Change Act based on the existing Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act, and increasing public participation in climate policies.

Taiwan has recorded one of its hottest years on record in 2020, with the average temperatures in July reaching 30.2 degrees Celsius, the highest for any single month since 1947. Scorching weather not only impacts people’s lives but also warrants corresponding adjustments to the country’s energy policies, Storm Media quoted legislator Lai Pin-yu (賴品妤) as saying.

A mechanism should be put in place to help businesses cushion the impact of the carbon tariffs set to be imposed by the European Union on goods imported from countries without a carbon pricing system, said Legislator Chuang Ching-cheng (莊競程).

Taiwan’s industries could also lose their advantageous position as eco-conscious tech companies seek to go carbon neutral on their supply chains, suggested Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧). Apple has committed to bringing its carbon footprint to net zero by 2030, and Google has pledged to operate its business on carbon-free energy with the same timetable.