OMNI Features｜The US DOE Invests $6 Billion in Subsidies to Industry for Carbon Reduction．Australia Proposes Restrictions on Carbon Intensity Vehicles．State-Owned Land Carbon Credit Auction in April

｜The US DOE Invests $6 Billion in Subsidies to Industry for Carbon Reduction
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a federal investment of $6 billion to subsidize 33 initiatives across 20 states to reduce carbon emissions. This investment is expected to enhance job wages and bolster U.S. competitiveness. Regarded as the largest single industrial decarbonization investment in U.S. history, the federal funding initiative is projected to reduce carbon pollution by 14 million metric tons annually, equivalent to removing approximately 3 million fuel-powered vehicles.

｜Australia Proposes Restrictions on Carbon Intensity Vehicles－Parts of Pickup Trucks Granted Relaxation in Standards
The Australian government has announced plans to relax carbon emission regulations for specific popular pickup truck models, set to take effect on January 1, 2025, to promote the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and reduce carbon emissions. This standard will impose penalties on imported carbon-intensity vehicle models while incentivizing manufacturers to produce vehicles using cleaner energy sources. Despite internal divisions within the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, the government emphasizes that select high-selling pickup truck models will be classified as light commercial vehicles and exempt from stricter fuel efficiency standards.

｜State-Owned Land Carbon Credit Auction in April
The Ministry of Finance recently announced plans to release nearly one hundred hectares of land in Yilan and Taitung for auction in early April. Successful bidders will be responsible for afforestation and carbon credit verification, with 10% of the credit reserved for the central government. The Yilan land to be auctioned was previously used as a quarry, while the Taitung land was a former Taiwan Railways Administration workshop, both are currently underutilized and unsuitable for agriculture. Therefore, afforestation will be pursued in alignment with the national green transition policy.

Reference: CNA｜udn.com