Replacement of every old motorcycle with an electric one will result in an emission reduction of 2.3 metric tons of CO₂e. Thus, in 2022 the EPA began to provide practical rewards for such replacements. On 30 May, the EPA announced that Hsinchu Science Park Bureau (HSPB) and Hsinchu County Environmental Bureau became the first purchasers of offset credits. A proposal was then made to the EPA’s Scrap Vehicle Platform on 10 June to match offers of offset credits.

The platform not only allows people to replace their old motorcycles with new electric ones all in one go but also provides opportunities to purchase reduction benefits as offset credits generated from these replacements. Those qualified to purchase are developers that have passed environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and proposed their own greenhouse gas offset procurement plans. It involves municipal, county, and city governments willing to offer credits to those within their jurisdictions who need to offset increased emissions from development activities.

The HSPB has planned to purchase offset credits based on replacing 100,000 old motorcycles over two years, paying NT$1,500/motorcycle. Meanwhile, Hsinchu County Environmental Bureau has proposed to purchase credits for replacing 400 motorcycles, paying NT$2,000/motorcycle. The scheme is still restricted to newly purchased electric motorcycles whose registrations are in Hsinchu County. The combined procurement is equivalent to an emission reduction of 230,920 metric tons of carbon, and motorcycle owners who participate in the program receive additional incentives besides contributing to carbon reduction. Such a model is an example of collaboration between the private and public sectors, creating a win-win situation for all and also encouraging the public to adopt a low-carbon lifestyle via behavioral changes.

The EPA Deputy Minister Chih-Hsiu Shen pointed out that Taiwan’s pledge to achieve 2050 Net-Zero Emissions, requires the participation of every citizen via lifestyle transformation. As transportation accounts for 13% of Taiwan’s total carbon emissions, one of the critical moves to achieve zero emissions is to replace the 14 million fuel-burning motorcycles and 8 million fuel-burning cars with electric models. The first vehicles as the top replacement priority are the over 300 million old fuel-burning motorcycles on the roads. As for cars, the government is currently working on installing user-friendly charging facilities.

According to relevant regulations, replacing an old motorcycle with an electric one results in reducing emissions by 2.3 metric tons of CO₂e, the credits from which can be transferred to developers or local governments to offset increased emissions. The Hsinchu Science Park has proposed its procurement plan specifically for the second expansion stage of the 2-nm chip factory of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) in Baoshan, Hsinchu, and TSMC will foot the bill for all carbon credit purchases under the plan. Aside from being the first to join in to purchase reduction benefits from motorcycle replacements, the Hsinchu Science Park has been striving ahead in water and energy conservation, green energy, and green transportation.

Now that the EPA signed the contracts with the HSPB and the Hsinchu County Environmental Bureau, respectively, the two agencies are contractually obliged to wire the payments to an EPA-designated account. Afterwards, the scrap vehicle platform will officially launch its matching function. Other than applying to terminate old motorcycle registrations and for the recycling reward of $2,300, qualified applicants can also choose to sell the reduction benefits from the replacement of their old motorcycles to the HSPB. Furthermore, if the new electric motorcycles are registered in Hsinchu County, owners can sell the benefits to the HSPB or the County Environmental Bureau. Once the platform confirms that all information is accurate, within one month motorcycle owners will receive NT$1,500 or NT$2,000 for making the replacements.

For people still using old motorcycles, the EPA again urges them to replace them by purchasing a new electric one by applying on the Scrap Vehicle Platform (https://epamotor.epa.gov.tw/people/OneStepServiceIndex.aspx). This will greatly contribute to environmental protection and achieve a reduction of both air pollution and carbon emissions.

Excerpt from Major Environmental Policies, June 2022

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