The Ministry of Foreign Affairs staged the 2023 Pacific Climate Change Forum July 19 in Taipei City, underscoring the government’s commitment to working with Taiwan’s allies to tackle the pressing challenge.
Co-organized by Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy, the half-day event aimed to promote experience sharing and international collaboration in order to better adapt to climate change, according to the MOFA.
During his opening remarks, Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said the government is leaving no stone unturned in addressing the challenges posed by climate change, citing the country’s plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 announced by President Tsai Ing-wen in 2021.
Wu said that to achieve this objective, the National Development Council unveiled Taiwan’s Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050 the following year, while the Climate Change Response Act was passed this February, making the country the 18th in the world to incorporate a net-zero emission goal into domestic law.
In addition to ongoing efforts to join the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, Taiwan has been working with the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau and Tuvalu for years to help them cope with rising sea levels, develop clean energy, ensure food security and respond to severe weather, among other projects, the minister said.
The highlight of the event was the signing of the Joint Statement on Combating Climate Change by Wu, Tuvalu Governor-General Tofiga Falani, Palau Minister of State Gustav Aitaro, Marshall Islands Minister of Natural Resources and Commerce John Silk and Nauru Minister for Climate Change and National Resilience Rennier Gadabu, the MOFA said.
The statement reaffirmed the allies’ unwavering bond and urged the global community to work in unity to enhance island states’ resilience in dealing with climate threats, the ministry added. (SFC-E)
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