Brickmaking is a notoriously carbon-intensive activity, contributing little to GDP yet generating considerable greenhouse gas emissions. EXTERNAL PRESSURESTaiwan doesn’t pour as much concrete as it did in the 1980s and 1990s, but construction remains a significant source of carbon emissions. Despite shuttering its nuclear power plants, Taiwan has managed to reduce both total greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon intensity of its economy. Since the start of this year, certain Taiwanese enterprises have been required to pay carbon fees based on their greenhouse gas emissions last year. Rising consumption of coal (up by 15 percent) and oil (up 10 percent) inflated the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: Taipei Times March 10, 2026 17:15 UTC