Embedded distrust
Kuei-Tien Chou · 2025
Chapter 4 explores Taiwan’s climate and environmental governance across three critical phases. During the authoritarian regime (1979–1987), governance was marked by centralized authoritarian control, with policies that concealed environmental risks, even as social and environmental movements emerged. Authoritative technocracy (1987–2016) followed, coinciding with Taiwan’s democratization. While governance structures became more formalized, they remained dominated by elite decision-makers, leading to continued delays in addressing environmental risks despite growing public and civil society pressure. Finally, the recentralized bureaucracy (2016–present) reflects a paradoxical phase in which, despite the Democratic Progressive Party’s initial engagement with civil society, policymaking remains heavily influenced by industrial interests, often at the expense of meaningful climate action. This evolution underscores a persistent lack of public trust and highlights the difficulty in building robust state-society partnerships necessary for a successful net-zero transition. The legacy of authoritarianism and the influence of neoliberalism continue to shape Taiwan’s governance, contributing to the challenge of achieving a transformative climate agenda.