About Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan
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Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan (CET) is a local environmental protection foundation in Taiwan.Our team consists of environmental practitioners with more than twenty years of experience in protecting the environment in Taiwan.
Our Vision
CET truly believes that everyone can make our effort for the environment. If more and more people take action to protect the environment, we are committed to achieving environmental sustainability in Taiwan and tackling the challenges of climate change. Eventually, we aim to become "Citizen of the Earth".
Our Method
CET employs diverse strategies in our campaigns, ranging from non-institutional protests to institutional actions such as environmental litigation and participating in public meetings like Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), to advocating environmental legislation and policies.
Our actions are based on investigating, researching, monitoring, and exposing environmental issues. We often collaborate with environmental organizations, local groups, residents, scholars, and experts.
In recent years, we have devoted more effort to connecting stakeholders, practicing environmental democracy to facilitate paths for industrial and energy transitions with minimal conflict.
Our Funding Resources
CET is Taiwan’s first environmental protection foundation established through public fundraising. To remain impartial and independent, we are funded through individual donations and do not accept government funding and donations from the corporations we supervise.
CET’s Three Main Campaign Issues and Reforms Achieved
Preserving Mountain Forestry and the Homeland, Driving Sustainability in Hualien and Taitung
CET is committed to promoting forestry conservation and an environmentally friendly forest industry. We monitor mountainous development to prevent exploitation and be involved in the protection of rivers, wetlands, and farmlands. We track land use in Hualien and Taitung and protect the natural coastlands of eastern Taiwan. In recent years, we have expanded our focus to include issues such as spatial planning, mining industry reform, and illegal factories on farmland.
▾ What we achieved
- We have prevented tens of thousands of hectares of deforestation in Taiwan and preserved large areas of precious farmland, coasts, and wetlands.
- We have strived to integrate indigenous and local cultures and drive homeland and resource sustainability by influencing upper-level spatial planning and industrial systems.
- In collaboration with NGOs and legislators, the Mining Act was finally amended in 2023, marking the most significant mining reform in Taiwan in 20 years. During the 7 years of pushing the act, we also facilitated the government's reclamation of 96 mining rights, covering a total area of 16,073 hectares.
- Together with g0v, we developed the “Illegal Factory on Farmland Reporting System," which offers a user-friendly interface and allows anonymous reporting. With the system, we collected 1,546 cases and reported over 500 illegal factories on farmland, leading to the demolition of 11 illegal factories.
Industrial pollution and industrial transformation
CET was founded in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s earliest and largest heavy industry cluster. Kaohsiung suffers from the worst air pollution in Taiwan, highlighting the urgency of addressing industrial pollution and industrial transition for us.
We have strengthened environmental laws regulating air and water pollution and advocated for shifts to a circular economy, in hopes of creating a healthy living environment and a sustainable economic model.
▾ What we achieved
- We have successfully fought for the closure of CPC’s No. 5 Naphtha Cracker. We opposed the expansion of the No. 3 cracker in Linyuan and supervising it.
- We stopped two coal-fired units at Dalin Power Plant and ended coal-burning at the ageing Southeast Cement Plant.
- We have also advocated for air quality index reform, air pollution caps, and reducing the transmission of electricity from south to north during periods of heavy air pollution.
- We have exposed and monitored water pollution by companies such as Formosa Plastics and ASE Group in the Houjin River, and AU Optronics and Chunghwa Picture Tubes in the Shiao-Li River, successfully pushing for the amendment of regulatory laws.
2050 Net Zero Emissions, energy transition and a Nuclear-Free Homeland
The 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster shocked the world, reminding us of the immense risks of nuclear energy. Since then, CET has also focused on nuclear safety and joined the anti-nuclear movement, advocating for a safe, clean, just, and democratic energy transition.
We push for energy conservation and carbon reduction in energy consumption, industry, mixed-use development, and transport. We advocate for large enterprises to fulfil their corresponding responsibilities in cutting emissions and pursuing green energy, and the integrated development of renewable energy and the environment with the agriculture and fishery industries.
By working together with all walks of society, we can build Taiwan’s resilience in the face of climate change and achieve the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
▾ What we achieved
- Together with society, we facilitated Taiwan’s 2025 plan for a low-carbon and nuclear-free energy transition and helped halt the construction of the Lungmen Nuclear Power Plant.
- We facilitated the Environmental and Social Check Process for solar fish farms and the ecological compensation plan for the solar fish farm area in Tainan.
- We prompted the Executive Yuan to increase the 2025 rooftop PV target from 6GW to 8GW and facilitated the regulation of rooftop PV proportions for new factories in industrial areas.
- We contributed to the passage of the "Renewable Energy Development Act," which mandates the installation of solar panels in new, expanded, and renovated buildings.
Contact us
We are more than willing to accept interviews with international media to share information about the environmental issues in Taiwan. We are also pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with INGOs to protect the environment together. You can find us via email.
Support our work
If you are not currently in Taiwan and want to donate to us, we suggest you use these two methods below:
- PayPal
Please use Donate Button below. - Credit card
You can donate to us via our online donation page. Unfortunately, due to technical limits, we cannot provide an English version of the page right now. Please use plug-ins or apps to translate it. - Contact us
If you have any particular demands, or these two methods do not meet your needs, feel free to contact us via email.
Find us
Email: cet@cet-taiwan.org
Kaohsiung Headquarters
5F., No. 282, Zhonghua 4th Rd., Qianjin Dist., Kaohsiung City 801756, Taiwan
TEL: +886 7 2156 809 / FAX: +886 7 2156 909
Taipei Office
9F.-2, No. 28, Beiping E. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City 100009, Taiwan
TEL: +886 2 2392 0371 / FAX: +886 2 2392 0381
Hualien Office
6F.-3, No. 150, Ziyou St., Hualien City, Hualien County 970013, Taiwan
TEL: +886 3 8310 916 / FAX: +886 3 8310 916