Press Release by the Risk Society and Policy Research Center, National Taiwan University

Climate Change's Profound Impact:

The Public's Expectations for the Government's Net Zero Transition Reform

Over the years, the Risk Society and Policy Research Center, National Taiwan University (hereinafter referred to as RSPRC) has consistently conducted public opinion surveys on climate- and energy-related matters. In response to Taiwan's announcement in 2022 of the Taiwan's Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050 and the enactment in 2023 of the Climate Change Response Act, which establishes a legal framework for achieving net zero emissions by 2050, the RSPRC conducted the "Public Opinion Survey on 2023 Net Zero Transition" (hereinafter referred to as "the survey"). The results of the survey were unveiled on July 19, offering valuable insights for various stakeholders.

The survey findings indicate that over 90% of the respondents have already experienced the impacts of climate change, and over 80% agree that Taiwan must proactively promote energy transition to safeguard future generations from severe climate catastrophes. Respondents have perceived the government's climate governance capacity as inadequate and expect the government to develop more comprehensive policies in response to climate disasters. Over 80% of the respondents expressed support for imposing carbon fees on corporations as a measure to address climate change. Concerning the means to attain the goal of net zero emissions by 2050, the option of "coordination among various departments through legislative amendments or enactments" garnered the highest proportion overall.

The survey also demonstrates that Taiwanese society has entered a paradigm of energy transition development wherein a considerable proportion of respondents expressed support for renewable energy to become a stable component of Taiwan's electricity portfolio. Furthermore, they are willing to incur incremental expenses to transition to renewable energy sources. In addition, nearly 60% of the respondents demonstrated a willingness to install or have already installed rooftop solar panels. This trend warrants close attention from the government and all sectors of society. Both governmental authorities and private entities should vigorously promote the installation of rooftop solar panels, fostering increased public engagement and a heightened awareness of energy transition and net zero initiatives within the general respondents. Based on the survey findings, the RSPRC recommends actively promoting interdepartmental legislative amendments and cross-sector collaborations in driving reforms toward achieving net zero emissions and implementing the 2050 net zero emissions pathway by embracing the principles of intergenerational equity, homeland sustainability, and private sector engagement.

The survey employed telephone polling, targeting individuals aged 18 and above across Taiwan and excluding residents of Kinmen and Matsu. The survey was conducted from May 29th to June 25th in 2023. The survey employed a mixed-methods approach, including telephone interviews with both local telephone and mobile phone samples. The distribution consisted of 775 local telephone responses and 300 mobile phone responses, resulting in a total of 1,075 valid samples. The survey represents one of the net zero transition polls conducted in the past three years that have included mobile phone samples, which enables better engagement with younger respondents.

"Over 90% of the respondents holds no climate skepticism and has perceived the threat of future climate impacts. Eighty percent of the respondents supports energy generational justice!" Assistant Professor LIN Jiun-Da from the Graduate Institute of National Development at NTU shared his observations. (1) Nearly 95% of respondents agree that global climate disasters are becoming increasingly abnormal and severe (94.8%). 2. Over 90% of respondents reported experiencing the impacts of climate change firsthand (90.8%), implying an improvement over the RSPRC's 2020 public opinion survey results (85.0%). (3) Approximately 19.3% of respondents reported having experienced damages from climate disasters, with 15.6% of them suffering losses exceeding 400,000 NTD. These findings underscore the necessity for the government to prioritize the formulation and implementation of adaptation strategies. Furthermore, the survey indicates that women are more sensitive to the impacts of climate change than are men. (4) Nearly 90% of respondents agree that if human activities continue unchanged as they are now (87.9%), significant environmental disasters will be experienced in the near future. (5) Over 80% of the respondents (81.7%) agree that Taiwan must proactively pursue energy transition (81.7%) to prevent future generations from suffering severe climate disasters, which could lead to intergenerational injustice.

"Interdepartmental climate governance is in need of improvement; there is an insufficient capacity to address climate impacts and an expectation for comprehensive government adaptation policies!" A researcher at the RSPRC and dean of the International College of Innovation at National Chengchi University, Professor TU Wen-Ling, emphasized that (1) the public's trust in the government regarding the provision of climate disaster information (68.8%) exceeds the level of distrust (23.4%); (2) While acknowledging positive aspects of interdepartmental communication and collaboration (environmental organizations 58.1%, local governments 54.1%, businesses 53.4%) more than negating them (environmental organizations 33.2%, local governments 37.1%, businesses 36.9%), the relatively small gap indicates the need for further strengthening of interdepartmental cooperation; (3) Faced with the impacts of climate change, the respondents has perceived a relative insufficiency/deficiency in the government's capacity for climate disaster response. As much as 70% of the population wants the government to formulate more comprehensive response policies (70.3%); (4) Regarding the government's capacity to respond to climate change, the overall level of distrust (50.2%) surpasses that of trust (42.6%), with political party and age being the most notable factors influencing trust levels; (5) To mitigate climate warming, the government should consider imposing restrictions on electricity consumption among power-intensive industries. The percentage of those in favor (49.1%) slightly outweighs those opposed (43.9%), although the margin is not significant. Besides factor of political party impacting trust levels, more than half of women (53.7%) expressed agreement with this restriction, which is higher than the proportion of men (48.4%) who disagreed.

"Eighty percent are in favor of levying carbon fees on businesses, 80% of the respondents are willing to pay higher electricity prices, and 60% are willing to purchase electric vehicles!" Dr. LIN Mu-Xing, a postdoctoral researcher at the RSPRC, shared his observations. (1) Over 80% of the respondents support imposing carbon fees on enterprises to address climate change (82.7%). (2) In an effort to mitigate future climate disaster losses, over 80% of the respondents are willing to pay higher electricity prices (83.0%). (3) Over 20% of the respondents already own electric vehicles or scooters (20.4%); among those surveyed, the percentage of individuals expressing an intention to purchase (45.0%) exceeds those who do not wish to purchase (31.6%). Among respondents from areas outside the six major municipalities, the proportion of those who already own electric vehicles (24.4%) is higher than the national average. (4) More than 20% of the respondents have utilized shared electric vehicles or scooters (21.2%); 38.6% of the respondents expressed a willingness to use such services. (5) Altogether, 41.3% of the respondents support "the government's disclosure of phased adjustments to electricity prices," and 40.9% support "the regular annual review of electricity prices by the Electricity Tariff Examination Council," indicating that a majority of the respondents do not favor the freezing of electricity prices.

"This is a key moment for the energy transition paradigm: supporting rooftop solar panel installation and expanding civilian collaboration in a net zero transition!" Director CHOU Kuei-Tien of the RSPRC observed that the Taiwanese society has undergone a paradigm shift in energy transition. (1) As many as 76.0% of the respondents support renewable energy as a stable energy source, with female respondents supporting it at a rate of 79.7%. (2) Altogether, 71.7% are willing to pay higher electricity prices to switch to renewable energy, with female respondents supporting this idea at a rate of 77.0%; (3) In total, 73.3% of the respondents support the government's target to increase the proportion of green energy adoption/consumption to over 20% by 2025. (4) Of households, 8.2% have already installed solar panels on their rooftops, with 49.4% expressing a willingness to install them; installation willingness is high across households with various income levels. Notably, over half of the respondents from the six major municipalities expressed a willingness to install solar PV panels. (5) Of the respondents, 46.8% prioritize carbon fee reinvestment in energy conservation and renewable energy development, a figure surpassing that for all other options. (6) To enhance power system resilience in the face of frequent power outages, 48.8% of the respondents selected the option to promote energy diversification and decentralization. (7) Regarding the means to strengthen the power supply over concerns about power shortages, 52.5% of the respondents selected the option of accelerating renewable energy development, 19.9% of the respondents suggested reasonably adjusting electricity prices, 18.0% proposed reducing power consumption demand, and 6.9% supported using nuclear power or increasing power sources.

Dr. CHOU Kuei-Tien expressed several observations. In general, (1) the 2012 survey by the RSPRC revealed a heightened awareness of climate change in Taiwanese society, yet governance by the government remains inadequate. While the current survey indicates that the energy transition paradigm has become extensively recognized among the respondents, the government must not only embrace this wave of social expectations but also engage in more systematic and nuanced planning for promoting renewable energy. On one hand, it should enhance incentives for rooftop solar panel installations. On the other hand, it should pursue large-scale solar panel projects following rational homeland planning and sustainable principles. Simultaneously, it should establish mechanisms for addressing challenges and fostering societal consensus through dialogues to avoid conflicts and resistance. (2) Taiwanese citizens universally perceive the inevitability of future climate disasters, with a growing number experiencing firsthand climate-related losses. In response, the government should proactively propose adaptation policies to address climate change and provide guidance and direction for the public. This aligns with the recent IPCC AR6 special report, which emphasizes that climate warming has become an irreversible trend. Considering the existing level of trust in the government's climate governance capacity, relevant climate policies and adjustments must not progress at a sluggish pace; instead, a substantial acceleration is required in scientific research and policy deployment for the future. (3) The high willingness of the respondents to purchase electric vehicles has initiated a pivotal moment in the societal transition toward net zero living. (4) Previous academic surveys have consistently revealed that Taiwanese citizens are willing to invest more and make greater efforts for the sake of future generations, particularly when confronting climate disasters and issues pertaining to net zero carbon emissions. This signifies a strong desire for intergenerational justice within the society, representing a crucial perspective in driving economic and social transition in Taiwan.