President Lai Ching-te said that Taiwan is determined to leverage its technological expertise to forge a green growth pathway and shape a sustainable future for all.
Lai made the remarks while attending Launching Taiwan’s Green Growth: Asia Green Grown Forum May 23 in Taipei City.
The event saw the launch of the Taiwan Green Growth Alliance and affiliated fund, as well as National Tsing Hua University’s College of Sustainability in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu City. Coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, the alliance is a public-private platform comprising 17 enterprises and related governmental agencies through which the ministry will invest NT$10 billion (US$334.6 million) in emerging net-zero industries, the president said.
Lai noted that achieving a net-zero transition by 2050 is one of Taiwan’s core national development strategies, adding that a National Climate Response Committee was set up shortly after he took office in 2024, which has proposed new carbon reduction goals and action plans.
This year a domestic carbon fee mechanism was enacted, integrating the local economy into the international carbon market, the president said. NTHU’s College of Sustainability, the country’s first such entity, will collaborate with the government to cultivate green-collar professionals and promote climate education and technological innovation.
Lai emphasized that evolving from a high-carbon economy to a net-zero society requires a comprehensive governing framework and the concerted effort of academics, industries and civil groups. He pledged to continue supporting technological R&D to facilitate carbon reduction while promoting related vocational training to get more young people engaged in green-collar careers.
During the forum, organized by the MOENV and the Cabinet-level National Development Council, Hideki Takada, director of Japan’s Green Transformation Acceleration Agency, gave a keynote speech sharing his country’s green transition policies, according to the MOENV. (POC-E)
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