Taiwan pledges resilience and innovation at Asia-Pacific Sustainability Expo
Taiwan is positioning itself as a green-tech partner for the region, a mildly positive signal for its chip and manufacturing exporters facing new climate rules.
- President Lai Ching-te told the Asia-Pacific Sustainability Expo in Taipei that Taiwan wants to be a driver of global sustainable development, not just a regional partner.
- The pitch rests on three ideas: resilience, innovation and shared prosperity — with Taiwan's semiconductor and precision manufacturing strength cast as a climate advantage.
- Taiwan collected its first carbon fees this year, a milestone that puts a price on emissions and pushes companies to cut them.
- The government is backing small and mid-sized firms with over NT$10 billion a year, plus a planned NT$100 billion eight-year fund for digital and net-zero upgrades.
- A national urban forest plan is due by year-end, alongside more green power, better grid stability and energy storage.
Outlook: Expect Taiwan to keep tying its climate policy to trade competitiveness and to offer technology to Pacific allies as extreme weather pressure builds.