New Southbound Policy Portal

VP Lai reiterates Taiwan's commitment to sustainable development

Vice President Lai Ching-te reiterated the government’s commitment to sustainable development Feb. 19, underscoring how Taiwan Can Help combat climate change while cementing the country’s position in the global economy.
 
Amid the restructuring of global supply chains set off by the coronavirus pandemic, it is essential that each country maintain strategic manufacturing to ensure adequate stocks of critical items such as surgical masks and semiconductor chips, Lai said.
 
The vice president made the remarks while attending a news conference for an environmental, social, and corporate governance sustainability initiative launched by E. Sun Financial Holding Co. in Taipei City.
 
Lai praised the initiative for being in keeping with the Paris Agreement, an accord adopted by over 100 countries at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2015. It aims to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
 
As countries around the world take steps to combat rising temperatures, an increasing number of firms are setting green energy requirements for suppliers, Lai said.
 
According to Lai, the National Sustainable Development Network under the Cabinet-level Environmental Protection Administration has set sustainable development goals in accordance with U.N. SDGs to strengthen the country’s international competitiveness. The Cabinet-level Financial Supervisory Commission has likewise launched the green finance action plan to facilitate investment in the green energy industry, he added.
 
These efforts correspond with goals to strengthen the position of Taiwan industries in the post-pandemic economy through the six core strategic industries initiative, the vice president said.
 
Unveiled by President Tsai Ing-wen during her 2020 inauguration speech, the six core strategic industries comprise information and digital technology; cybersecurity; biotech and medical technology; national defense; green and renewable energy; and strategic stockpile industries. (DL-E)
 
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