TAIPEI (TVBS News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) chaired the third meeting of the National Climate Change Committee (國家氣候變遷對策委員會) on Thursday (Jan. 24), expressing gratitude to 15 civilian committee members for unanimously agreeing to reduce their attendance fees. He assured the committee's continued operation despite challenges.
Concerns over the committee's functionality emerged after Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) legislators froze 70% of the Presidential Office's operational budget. Presidential Office spokesperson Kuo Ya-hui (郭雅慧) acknowledged the pressure but confirmed President Lai's firm commitment to maintaining the committee's operations.
Shih Shin-min (施信民), founding president of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (台灣環境保護聯盟), proposed reducing attendance fees, which received full support from all 15 civilian members to ensure the committee's sustainability.
President Lai humorously remarked that meetings might now only last until 6 p.m., with only water available, as tea or coffee may no longer be supplied due to budget constraints. The Presidential Office's three major committees will hold monthly meetings this year, with Lai emphasizing pragmatic execution plans and urging the Executive Yuan (行政院) to consolidate and discuss strategies.
Lai reiterated that achieving net-zero carbon emissions is a long journey, requiring unity to overcome challenges and position Taiwan as a global leader in climate action.
