Wanting to galvanise people into action toward positive change, President Tsai Ing-wen reiterates the country’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 during an event held in Taipei City that focused on boosting Taiwan’s sustainable development via environmental, social, and governance measures.
Taiwan’s leader is looking beyond the public sector to make that planetary goal happen. She disclosed that the government is committed to working with academics and businesses to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The government has been aggressively implementing energy transition plans since 2016, Tsai said. Further efforts will be made through public-private collaboration to fast-track progress toward the net-zero goal, she added.
Those remarks should boost the country’s resolve to make sustainable development happen. It was timely too she made the pronouncements during a forum organised by a local media discussing how to boost Taiwan’s sustainable development via environmental, social, and governance measures in Taipei City.
According to Tsai, the government is leaving no stone unturned in making that audacious goal happen. For one, Taipei is aggressively conducting research on green and hydrogen energy while accelerating the country’s export-oriented industrial transformation.
Moreover, these efforts are complemented by the adoption of low-carbon emission methods during the construction of public facilities and transportation networks, Tsai said. What’s more, she also stressed the importance of ensuring citizen participation and maintaining good communication with the public.
In addition, the president said that a more detailed plan will be issued by the Cabinet-level National Development Council in the near future. Consequently, she lauded the Financial Supervisory Commission’s ongoing efforts to promote green finance. The government will continue working with the private sector to implement Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) measures while overcoming challenges in hitting net-zero targets, she added.
By default, achieving net-zero is an ambitious goal. Net Zero is a similar concept to achieving Carbon Neutral goals. However, the initiative goes beyond just carbon and is typically on a larger scale.
It doesn’t mean zero carbon emissions, however. Net Zero refers to when all greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere are equivalent to the greenhouse gases being removed from the atmosphere on a global scale. In other words, net-zero emissions will be achieved when human activity no longer causes global warming.
Take note that green development comes hand in hand with digital adoption. As mind-boggling as all the data involved in the pursuit of sustainable development, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) offers a much more efficient way to gather and handle information. Plus, digitisation can help arrive at data patterns and facilitate better decision making.
Internet of Things (IoT) can provide valuable input, for instance, into what’s happening on the ground. Plus, with Artificial Intelligence (AI), better and faster conclusions can be made. Plus, ICTs help to monitor and analyse short and long-term climate trends, raise awareness, help protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions.
Indeed, Taiwan has been pursuing digital transformation at a frenetic pace. A concrete example is its digital currency plan. It is set to debut its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) by September this year. That’s no small feat considering many countries today are still sitting on the fence on the merits of a CBDC.
In addition, it has set up a new AI HUB that could put the country in a leadership position in terms of artificial intelligence in the region as reported on OpenGov Asia. Truly, Taiwan is welcoming technology with open arms. Pretty soon, it could be reaping its gains in no time.
