President Lai Meets Environmental Groups, Reiterates 3 Preconditions for Nuclear Energy Use, Including Nuclear Safety
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te met with environmental groups, reiterating the three preconditions for the use of nuclear power: 'ensuring nuclear safety, resolving nuclear waste, and achieving social consensus.' This meeting clarifies the new administration's critical stance on energy and environmental issues.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 21, 2026 at 21:47
- 🔍 Collected: April 21, 2026 at 22:01 (14 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 22, 2026 at 01:17 (3h 15m after Collected)
(Central News Agency, Taipei, 21st) President Lai Ching-te met with environmental groups today, proposing four major directions: "strengthening national land planning and resource governance," "steadily promoting energy transition," "protecting the ecological environment and the value of life," and "expanding public-private cooperation to promote environmental action." Regarding the use of nuclear energy, he reiterated that the government will continue to prudently handle it based on three preconditions: "ensuring nuclear safety, resolving nuclear waste, and achieving social consensus."
The Presidential Office issued a press release stating that President Lai met with representatives of environmental groups from the "2026 23rd National NGOs Environmental Conference" in the afternoon.
In his speech, the President stated that tomorrow is "World Earth Day" and he was pleased to meet and exchange ideas with everyone at the Presidential Office today. He has always believed that in addressing various environmental issues and policies, civil society groups and the government are not just in a relationship of supervision, but are partners in jointly advancing the nation's progress.
President Lai mentioned that the issues raised by the environmental group representatives covered a very wide range, including environmental impact assessment requirements for major public constructions, long-term observation of natural environmental changes, balanced management of wildlife and human activities, institutional construction of urban green spaces and ecological spaces, as well as improvement of national land use, land governance mechanisms, and energy issues. He noted that relevant government departments attach great importance to these issues and have taken action in the past to respond.
He said that in the future, he will require all departments to continue to monitor and track progress, and to strengthen communication with all sectors of society. They will proactively explain their achievements and hope for mutual understanding and joint assistance in solving difficulties when they arise.
The President also proposed four major policy directions, hoping to work with all sectors. He said the first is to strengthen national land planning and resource governance.
The President stated that in the face of challenges from climate change and the international situation, national land planning and resource management are important foundations for national resilience. Especially for renewable energy site selection and earthwork management, he will ask relevant departments to implement the principle of "balancing economic development with environmental protection" to create a resilient national land environment.
President Lai said the second is to steadily promote energy transition. Energy security is national security. The government will do its utmost to ensure the stability and autonomy of energy supply and demand, and continue to enhance energy independence and resilience. In addition to continuing to promote diverse green energy, smart energy storage, deep energy conservation, switching from coal to gas, and using coal as a backup, he reiterated that for the use of nuclear energy, the government will continue to adhere to three preconditions: ensuring nuclear safety, resolving nuclear waste, and achieving social consensus, to handle it prudently. In addition, the government will also actively review procedures to accelerate the development of distributed green energy, including small hydropower, to create a safer and more stable energy system through a diversified energy mix.
President Lai stated that the third is to protect the ecological environment and the value of life, upholding the spirit of "rooting in place and prospering together" to protect Taiwan's biodiversity. The fourth is to expand public-private cooperation to promote environmental action. He has instructed the Ministry of Environment to comprehensively plan a "National Afforestation Plan," which is expected to be formally proposed at the "National Climate Change Countermeasures Committee" on April 30.
Furthermore, President Lai pointed out that planting trees in cities can not only effectively cool down temperatures and mitigate the heat island effect, but also enhance flood resilience, purify the air, and protect ecological diversity. This is the most solid foundational work for Taiwan's path to sustainable development. In the future, public-private cooperation will continue to promote afforestation and environmental restoration, allowing more people to participate in local actions and contribute to Taiwan's sustainable development. (Editor: Yang Kai-hsiang) 1150421
The Presidential Office issued a press release stating that President Lai met with representatives of environmental groups from the "2026 23rd National NGOs Environmental Conference" in the afternoon.
In his speech, the President stated that tomorrow is "World Earth Day" and he was pleased to meet and exchange ideas with everyone at the Presidential Office today. He has always believed that in addressing various environmental issues and policies, civil society groups and the government are not just in a relationship of supervision, but are partners in jointly advancing the nation's progress.
President Lai mentioned that the issues raised by the environmental group representatives covered a very wide range, including environmental impact assessment requirements for major public constructions, long-term observation of natural environmental changes, balanced management of wildlife and human activities, institutional construction of urban green spaces and ecological spaces, as well as improvement of national land use, land governance mechanisms, and energy issues. He noted that relevant government departments attach great importance to these issues and have taken action in the past to respond.
He said that in the future, he will require all departments to continue to monitor and track progress, and to strengthen communication with all sectors of society. They will proactively explain their achievements and hope for mutual understanding and joint assistance in solving difficulties when they arise.
The President also proposed four major policy directions, hoping to work with all sectors. He said the first is to strengthen national land planning and resource governance.
The President stated that in the face of challenges from climate change and the international situation, national land planning and resource management are important foundations for national resilience. Especially for renewable energy site selection and earthwork management, he will ask relevant departments to implement the principle of "balancing economic development with environmental protection" to create a resilient national land environment.
President Lai said the second is to steadily promote energy transition. Energy security is national security. The government will do its utmost to ensure the stability and autonomy of energy supply and demand, and continue to enhance energy independence and resilience. In addition to continuing to promote diverse green energy, smart energy storage, deep energy conservation, switching from coal to gas, and using coal as a backup, he reiterated that for the use of nuclear energy, the government will continue to adhere to three preconditions: ensuring nuclear safety, resolving nuclear waste, and achieving social consensus, to handle it prudently. In addition, the government will also actively review procedures to accelerate the development of distributed green energy, including small hydropower, to create a safer and more stable energy system through a diversified energy mix.
President Lai stated that the third is to protect the ecological environment and the value of life, upholding the spirit of "rooting in place and prospering together" to protect Taiwan's biodiversity. The fourth is to expand public-private cooperation to promote environmental action. He has instructed the Ministry of Environment to comprehensively plan a "National Afforestation Plan," which is expected to be formally proposed at the "National Climate Change Countermeasures Committee" on April 30.
Furthermore, President Lai pointed out that planting trees in cities can not only effectively cool down temperatures and mitigate the heat island effect, but also enhance flood resilience, purify the air, and protect ecological diversity. This is the most solid foundational work for Taiwan's path to sustainable development. In the future, public-private cooperation will continue to promote afforestation and environmental restoration, allowing more people to participate in local actions and contribute to Taiwan's sustainable development. (Editor: Yang Kai-hsiang) 1150421