Taiwan's Environment Ministry to Add Consultant Q&A Skills to EIA Evaluations

(CNA Reporter Chang Hsiung-feng, Taipei, 8th) Taiwan's Ministry of Environment stated today that in the 2026-2027 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) evaluation program, the on-site query-and-answer capability of consulting firms will be added as a key indicator to enhance the quality of EIAs and prevent evasive responses to controversial issues.

The Ministry held an award ceremony today for the "2024-2025 EIA Technical Consulting Firms Evaluation Program," with Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming presenting the awards.

Peng stated that institutional reforms will be promoted at this stage without amending the EIA Act. He cited the Shalun Ecological Science Park as an example, where an "Ecological Conservation Collaboration Platform" was established with stakeholders before development. The concept of "No Net Loss (NNL)" was incorporated, leading to full information disclosure and creating a new model of EIA governance. He expressed hope that future controversial cases will follow this precedent.

Peng also announced the official launch of the "2026-2027 Evaluation Program," which will add scoring for the on-site Q&A capabilities of consulting firms to promote continuous professional improvement. The core purpose of the evaluation system, he said, is to systematically guide the EIA consulting industry to advance in professional technology and quality control, thereby refining the overall quality and administrative efficiency of EIA reviews.

The Ministry stated in a press release that promoting the EIA technical consulting firm evaluation system aims to effectively encourage the industry to practice self-regulation through an objective and rigorous assessment mechanism, fundamentally improving the quality of EIA reviews and significantly optimizing administrative efficiency.

The Ministry noted that six outstanding technical consulting firms received the highest honor of "Excellent" this year: Sinotech Engineering Consultants, Ltd., CECI Engineering Consultants, Inc., Taiwan, MAA Group Consulting Engineers, Gyn-Fon Tech. Co., Ltd., Pan-China Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd., and Avision Environmental Science & Technology Inc.

The Ministry expressed its hope that with the regular implementation and dynamic optimization of indicators, the evaluation process will further build a platform for diverse technical exchange, guiding EIA consulting firms to continue working together to protect the credibility of EIAs and implement precise, transparent scientific assessments. (Editor: Lee Heng-shan) 1150608