Yuan T. Lee Blasts DPP, Energy Policy 李遠哲指綠二次執政快速腐化 令他很失望

Former Academia Sinica President Yuan T. Lee was interviewed in an online program yesterday. He said the rate at which the DPP is becoming corrupt is faster now compared to its first time in power, and he feels very disappointed. 

Yuan T. Lee, Former Academia Sinica President: “I'm very disappointed. If you look at it from a social perspective, the rate at which we're sinking is very fast.”

Former Academia Sinica President Yuan T. Lee expressed his despair over the way that Taiwan's society is developing during an interview for an online program. In 2000, he posed the question, "Is Taiwan rising, or is it sinking?" This time, he gave this answer.

Yuan T. Lee, Former Academia Sinica President: “Things should become better in the process of alternating between political parties. However, they're just becoming more corrupt after gaining political power. The rate at which they're becoming corrupt is faster than before. The driving force to rise from alternating between political parties is gone.”

Lee also spoke about the issue of net-zero emissions. He said he discussed this issue with President Tsai Ing-wen, but she didn't care about anything after 2024. If Taiwan wants to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, then it needs to reduce emissions by half by 2030. This is unachievable with current practices.

Yuan T. Lee, Former Academia Sinica President: “She (President Tsai Ing-wen) only said that anything that happens after 2024 is for the next generation to handle and has nothing to do with her. The targets are net-zero emissions in 2050 and a temperature increase of under 1.5 degrees, but she can't even achieve that. I just hope it won't be that bad. If you want to achieve this target in 2050, then you have to cut emissions in half by 2030 and you need to make proper plans.”

Lo Chih-cheng, Legislator (DPP): “The entire country is pushing for carbon reduction goals. This is very clear. In addition, the pace we've taken is taking us towards this goal one step at a time. With regards to personal opinions, we of course respect them. However, the government has never changed its policy.”

The Presidential Office responded that Tsai has been actively pushing for an energy transition since taking office and NT$900 billion will be invested before 2030 to achieve net-zero emissions. In March, the government announced its pathway to net-zero emissions. The Executive Yuan also passed a climate change adaptation draft bill and sent it to the legislature for deliberation. Taiwan will keep pace with the world to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The Presidential Office concluded there is a gap between Lee's words and what the government is promoting.

「我是很失望的，就是從整個社會看的話，我們往下沉淪的力道還是很大。」對於整體社會發展感到失望，中研院前院長李遠哲接受網路節目專訪，談到他曾在2000年提問「台灣到底向上提升，還是向下沉淪」，李遠哲給了這個答案。

李遠哲表示：「政黨輪替的過程裡面，應該是越來越好的，一旦得到政權之後，他們就開始腐化，這個腐化的程度比過去更快的話，這個政黨輪替，往上提升的這道力道就沒有了。」

李遠哲也談到淨零碳排議題，指出過去曾經和總統蔡英文交流，但總統認為2024年之後就不是她的事。但如果台灣想要2050淨零，那2030年就應該要減半，但以現在的做法來看，無法達標。

李遠哲指出：「她（總統）只說，2024年以後的事，是下一代的事，不是她的事，2050年零排放，溫度不要上升到1.5度，只是希望說不要變得那麼壞，但是連這個也沒能做到，你要達到2050年怎麼樣的話，那2030年需要減半，就要好好去規劃。」

對此，民進黨立院黨團幹事長羅致政回應：「整個國家推向減碳的目標，這個是非常清楚，而且我們採取的節奏，一步一步朝這個目標來邁進，那至於一些個人，他的一些看法，我們當然尊重，但基本上來講，政府的政策從來沒有改變過。」

對於李遠哲的說法，總統府回應，總統蔡英文在上任之後，大力推動「能源轉型」，將在2030年以前投入9000億元推動淨零轉型；今年3月也公布「淨零轉型路徑圖」，行政院更通過「氣候變遷因應法」草案，送請立法院審議。同時台灣也會和全球同步，致力於2050淨零轉型，因此李遠哲的說法，和政府推動的現況有落差。