TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An environment ministry committee recommended on Monday (Sept. 9) that Taiwan set carbon fees at a rate of between NT$300 and NT$500 (US$9.34 to US$15.57) per metric ton of emissions.

The proposed range will represent an initial rate that is expected to rise to between NT$1,200 and NT$1,800 by 2030, according to Huang Wei-ming (黃偉鳴), deputy director of the environment ministry’s climate change department. Huang spoke to reporters after the committee held a four-hour meeting on the subject.

Huang said the fee will be finalized at a single rate in late September or October when the committee reconvenes, per CNA. He emphasized that the range provided does not mean different industries will pay varying levels of carbon fees.

The committee’s final recommendation will be reviewed by the environment ministry before being passed into law, Huang added. Once the fees are set, they will be reviewed every two years.

The ministry initially planned to begin charging carbon fees in 2025, but in late August announced a delay until 2026, according to the Environmental Information Center. The ministry said it would use 2025 as a trial year, during which organizations will only need to report the previous year’s emissions without incurring fees.

The delay was attributed to the undecided fee amount. Environmental groups criticized the decision, arguing it would make it difficult for Taiwan to meet its carbon reduction goals.

Following the recommendation, a group of Taiwanese business leaders, the Third Wednesday Association, called for carbon fees to be capped at NT$100 per metric ton. The group’s chair, Lin Po-feng (林伯豐), also suggested that carbon fees should be considered for imported products similar to local products subject to the fees, and other taxes on those products should be reviewed.

Under the new scheme, organizations producing 25,000 metric tons or more of carbon emissions will be required to pay. According to environment ministry data from 2022, 550 companies would have been required to pay carbon fees under the proposed regulations.