Taiwan’s long and successful record in promoting environmentally friendly construction is taking center stage at the 2018 Conference on Innovative Low-Carbon and Green Buildings in Subtropical Area running Oct. 14-17 in Taipei City.
 
The event, sponsored by the Ministry of the Interior, is part of the Sustainable Built Environment series of conferences jointly run by five global organizations including Canada-based International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment and Kenya-headquartered U.N. Environment Programme.
 
As the first Asian nation to establish an environmental construction certification system and with more than 7,000 accredited green buildings and projects, Taiwan is well placed to share best practices. The conference provides a great opportunity for the country to showcase its achievements in sustainable construction to the world and help spur the global development of the sector, MOI Deputy Minister Hua Ching-chun said.
 
The Ecology, Energy Saving, Waste Reduction and Health (EEWH) scheme was launched in 1999 by the MOI’s Architecture and Building Research Institute and is the first evaluation program to focus on construction in tropical and subtropical regions. As of the end of September, the ABRI had granted 7,375 buildings and projects EEWH certification.
 
More than 200 professionals from around 20 countries and territories including Canada, Japan, Germany, Singapore and the U.S. are attending the four-day conference. Local academics and officials spoke about Taiwan’s management and stimulus policies on green buildings and the EEWH scheme, while overseas attendees shared experiences on issues like curbing greenhouse gas emissions from the construction sector.
 
Participants will also visit some of Taipei’s model green buildings, including the iconic Taipei 101 tower and Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch. (CPY-E)