On the 2nd, the Kaohsiung City Council passed the “Kaohsiung City Carbon Budget (2025–2026)” in its third reading. This marks not only the city's first carbon budget but also the first of its kind among local governments in Taiwan. The Kaohsiung City Government expressed its gratitude to the City Council for its support. By adopting a biennial carbon budget, the city is setting greenhouse gas emission caps pushing its net-zero transition another step forward.

Kaohsiung's Environmental Protection Bureau noted that the city enacted the Kaohsiung City Net-Zero City Development Self-Governing Ordinance in June last year. Article 4, modeled after the UK system, requires the city government to set regulatory targets on a biennial basis and implement carbon reduction action plans through a formal carbon budget. To this end, the Environmental Protection Bureau has designated 2025 and 2026 as the first carbon budget period, inventorying potential future Environmental Impact Assessment increases, including the Ciaotou Science Park and the Kaohsiung Nanzih Technology Industrial Park, with a total of 20 project cases, as well as expected population changes, projecting that the city's greenhouse gas emissions will rise by 2.42 million tonnes over the next two years.

In addition to projected increases, the carbon budget also incorporates 16 quantified and 57 supporting carbon reduction measures. These include voluntary industry reduction targets, lower emission factors through energy transition, waste reuse, public sector energy-saving programs, transportation electrification and expanding sewer system coverage. Spanning six major sectors, these measures are estimated to reduce emissions by 3.83 million tonnes over the next two years.

Director Jui-Hun Chang of the Environmental Protection Bureau stated that the carbon budget is based on the city's 2022 emissions level of 52.35 million tonnes. After accounting for projected increases and planned reduction measures, the 2025–2026 carbon budget is set at 50.93 million tonnes, representing a 23% reduction compared to the 2005 baseline year. During its development, over 10 sessions were held with experts, scholars, industry representatives and civic groups. The draft was reviewed by the Committee for Sustainable Development and Climate Change Response Promotion of the Kaohsiung City Government and then submitted to the City Council. Councilors also offered many valuable suggestions, such as oversight mechanisms, carbon credit programs and industrial support measures, which will be used as references when drafting the next carbon budget period.

Jui-Hun Chang emphasized that the carbon budget does not involve actual monetary allocations nor does it serve as an enforcement mechanism. Rather, it represents Kaohsiung's biennial cap on greenhouse gas emissions, a policy tool for projecting future emissions and guiding the city toward its medium- and long-term reduction goals. He expressed gratitude to the City Council, industry stakeholders and civic groups for their collective support in helping the city establish a pragmatic, science-based decarbonization pathway and strategy.