Taiwan and Paraguay launch pilot carbon credit project on five-hectare woodland
Taiwan and Paraguay have launched a pilot carbon credit project covering five hectares of woodland in Paraguay's Chaco region, the Climate Change Administration said. The project explores verification and transfer methods for carbon credits. Two universities also signed a separate MOU on talent deve
Taiwan and Paraguay are to cooperate in environmental governance with a pilot carbon credit project covering five hectares of woodland in Paraguay, the Climate Change Administration said yesterday.
Deputy Minister of Environment Hsieh Yein-rui led a delegation to visit Paraguay’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development from Monday to yesterday, during which they exchanged views on environmental governance. Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming and Paraguayan Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Rolando de Barros Barreto in October last year signed a memorandum of understanding on carbon credits.
Administration Director-General Tsai Ling-yi said the project aims to explore feasible carbon credit cooperation mechanisms. The ministry commissioned the Industrial Technology Research Institute, which collaborated with a Paraguayan company, for an “afforestation, reforestation and revegetation” project in the Chaco region, she said. Tsai described the project as more of a pilot study to help develop methods to verify and transfer carbon credits.
Hsieh said the cooperation goes beyond the exchange of systems and policies, stressing that integrating resources and practical experiences to establish an implementable and sustainable model matters more. The administration said Taiwan’s main focus is not the total amount of verifiable carbon credits, but the project’s environmental integrity, scientific foundation and information transparency. Taiwan expects to bring tangible benefits for sustainable development in Paraguay, it said.
Tsai said Taiwan and Paraguay have reached a consensus on environmental governance via the carbon credit MOU, with bilateral cooperation on talent development deepening the effort. The National Tsing Hua University and the National University of Asuncion on Wednesday signed another MOU. Ten Taiwanese students traveled with the delegation to Paraguay to attend learning exchanges under the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative, Tsai said.
The Climate Change Administration said the MOU signed by the universities focuses on promoting sustainable innovation, entrepreneurship and talent training in terms of sustainable production, ecosystem conservation and climate resilience. National Tsing Hua University College of Sustainability dean Fan Chien-te said the schools’ MOU helps leverage Taiwan’s training resources to meet Paraguay’s needs. It is expected to incorporate knowledge of climate change, greenhouse gas management and sustainability into bilateral exchanges to assist Paraguay in developing local green-collar professionals, he added.
