NDC Outlines Climate Change Pathways for 2050 Net-Zero Emissions, Job Opportunities for Foreigners

Bayo Akinloye in Taipei, Taiwan

The National Development Council of Taiwan has set in motion plans and strategies to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
On Tuesday, in Taipei, the NDC’s Deputy Minister, Shien-Quey Kao, explained to international media organisations, including THISDAY, about the agency’s commitment to reach its net-zero emissions target. Kao stated that part of NDC’s target would be seeking a nuclear-free homeland, replacing fossil fuels and prioritising energy transition in Taiwan as scientists have confirmed that the impact of climate change requires urgent attention.

Countries worldwide have successfully put forward ‘2050 Net-Zero Emissions’ declarations and actions. In response to the global net-zero trend, former President Tsai Ing-wen declared on Earth Day on April 22, 2021, that the “2050 Net-Zero Transition” is Taiwan’s goal and a global consensus.

In March 2022, Taiwan officially published ‘Taiwan’s Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050’, which provides the action pathway to achieve ‘2050 Net-Zero Emissions’. According to the NDC, this blueprint aims to promote technology, research, development, and innovation in key areas, guide the green transition of industry, and drive a new wave of economic growth. At the same time, we look forward to promoting green financing, increasing investment at various key milestones, and ensuring a reasonable transition period.

Taiwan’s 2050 net-zero emissions pathway is based on four major transition strategies: energy transition, industrial transition, lifestyle transition, and social transition, including two governance foundations of technology R&D and climate legislation. Twelve key strategies supplement this, NDC noted, to develop action plans for key areas of expected growth with regard to energy, industrial, and life transition to implement net zero transition goals. Creating competitive, sustainable, resilient, and secure transition strategies and governance foundations to promote economic growth, drive private investment, generate green employment, achieve energy autonomy and enhance social well-being, the ‘2050 Net-Zero Transition’ is about environmental sustainability, not just competitiveness. Only by laying a foundation for long-term growth and stability can we leave behind a better place for future generations.

Kao also disclosed that Taiwan’s nuclear plants would be decommissioned as part of the plans and might be redeployed upon potential new technologies.

The NDC deputy minister highlighted Taiwan’s efforts to open its door to foreigners seeking employment there.

In order to attract foreign talent to come to work in Taiwan, and to enable them to become familiar with job content, Taiwan’s culture, the social environment, and so on, before they take up employment in Taiwan, Article 11 of the Foreign Professionals Act stipulates that a foreign professional who plans to engage in professional work in the country, and who needs a long period to seek employment, “may apply to an overseas mission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the issuance of a six-month visitor visa, valid for three months, for multiple entry, to stay for up to a maximum period of six months.”

She said this would help address the issue of labour shortage. Similarly, Kao mentioned that Taiwan would also provide a tax incentive “foreign special professionals” needed by Taiwan’s industries and “enhance the incentive for transnationally experienced technical talent to come to Taiwan, based on consideration of the relocation costs and uncertain cash flow of foreign talent when first coming to work and live in Taiwan, while also considering international practices and outside suggestions, Article 20 of the Foreign Professionals Act provides that, for the first five years after they are first approved to work in Taiwan, foreign special professionals shall enjoy the tax preference of having income tax levied on just half of such part of their salary as exceeds NT$3 million.”

The agency said to raise the incentive for highly qualified foreign talent to stay and work long-term in Taiwan, Articles 14 and 16 of the Foreign Professionals Act relax the qualifying conditions for foreign professionals and their dependent relatives to become permanent residents.

In this instance, there is a flexible calculation of applicants’ days of a year spent in Taiwan. Considering that international professionals frequently move across borders and so cannot easily tot up a full 183 days of stay in Taiwan each year, the calculation of applicants’ qualifying time of stay in Taiwan is changed from 183 days each year to an average of 183 days per year.

Another positive review is the reduction of the number of years that foreign professionals must continuously reside in Taiwan before they can apply for permanent residency, meaning that foreign professionals with the current requirement of five years’ continuous residence in Taiwan are retained, but this can be reduced by one year for those who have obtained a master’s degree in Taiwan, or by two years for those who have obtained a doctorate in Taiwan.

So, for example, in the case of a foreign professional who would originally have been required to lawfully and continuously reside in Taiwan for five years in order to apply for permanent residency, they would only need to have lawfully and continuously resided in Taiwan for three years if they had obtained a doctorate in Taiwan, and to have stayed in Taiwan for an average of 183 days or more in each of those years, in order to be eligible to apply to the NIA for permanent residency.

The Taiwanese government also pointed to easing the qualifying conditions for dependent relatives of foreign professionals to obtain permanent residency. Once a foreign professional or foreign special professional has been granted permanent residency, their dependent relatives are eligible to apply for permanent residency after five years of continuous residence in the former case and three years in the latter case, having stayed in Taiwan for an average of 183 days or more in each of those years. They do not need to show proof of ability to be self-supporting.