ABSTRACT
Yilan County, located in the northeastern part of Taiwan, has long been known as a “green” prefecture. During the transformation of Taiwan’s cities in the 20th century, the Yilan County Government did not follow the typical blueprint of industrialization. Instead, the county opted for a development blueprint premised on sustainability. Yilan has designed and implemented environmental schemes since the 1980s, and successive county magistrates have continued this trend of sustainable city policies. This chapter reviews the history of the Yilan through the lens of environmental policy formulation and implementation. These policies, focused on renewable energy and green transportation, allowed Yilan to meet its goal of becoming a low-carbon city in 2011. This chapter points to the critically important role of administrative leadership of country magistrates in promoting a sustainability agenda. Capitalizing on geothermal resources, Yilan utilizes geothermal power generation as a key link in its renewable energy strategy. Renewable energy will account for 43 percent of the total 370-MW electricity demand before 2025. Furthermore, to accommodate increases in tourism, new public transportation options open up the possibility of reducing carbon dioxide levels by integrating walking, bicycling, and metro and bus systems, thereby upgrading and enhancing the efficiency of existing services.
