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By Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNA
Taiwan is a reliable global partner on the path toward sustainability and should leverage its prowess in technology and artificial intelligence to drive a dual digital and net zero transformation, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said today.
Hsiao made the remarks in a speech at the opening ceremony of the Earth Solutions Sustainability Design Action Summit at Syntrend Creative Park in Taipei.
The two-day summit, now in its sixth year, is organized by the 5% Design Action social design platform. This year’s event, themed “Accelerate for 2030,” features 12 panels and speeches by experts from 10 different fields.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan began implementing carbon pricing last year and has fully launched its second energy transition, Hsiao said.
The government is developing diverse green energy sources, promoting deep energy conservation and introducing smart energy storage and disaster prevention power grids, she said.
While the progress of these efforts might not be visible every day, their cumulative effect represents the nation’s steady advancement toward greater resilience, she added.
Technology originates from human nature, and technological development should focus on solutions and action, Hsiao said.
Hardware and software innovation requires a joint effort by the public and private sectors to internalize sustainability as a shared mission, she said.
She said she hoped that Taiwan would become a reliable line of defense for global net zero goals, demonstrating its ability to build a more hopeful future for the next generation.
Amid international conflicts and the current geopolitical situation, the sustainability threats facing society and the economy are more urgent in the short term than environmental protection, 5% Design Action CEO Kevin Yang (楊振甫) said.
At the summit today, discussions would focus on the risks and opportunities posed by an aging society and low birthrates, organizers said.
Tomorrow’s sessions would focus on sustainability education, bringing together officials from the ministries of education, environment, agriculture and economic affairs, they said.
The officials would join more than 100 school principals and educators to discuss the cultivation of talent for the sustainability sector, they added.
