National Taiwan University (NTU) plans to divest NT$432 million (US$14.3 million) from six “high pollution” and “high carbon emission” companies by the end of next year, the university’s Student Association said.
NTU’s chief financial officer (CFO) told the student group that the school has targeted six companies, accounting for 22 percent of the university’s investments, and has already divested from four of them, NTU Student Association head of sustainability Huang Yu-ting (黃毓庭) said.
Divestment from the remaining companies is expected to be completed by the end of next year, she said, adding that the university did not publicly reveal the names of the companies.
Photo taken from the National Taiwan University Student Association Department of Sustainability Facebook page
The association said that it had previously asked university presidential candidates whether they would divest the school’s fund from “high pollution, high carbon emission” companies, and NTU president Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔), then a candidate, promised he would.
On Nov. 28, the association received details on the divestment from the CFO, who told them that starting in mid-September, the university had begun the divestment process, Huang said.
Although the university’s divestment is “the first in Asia,” more than 150 universities around the world are already doing the same, she said.
International groups that track divestments would base their observations on public and official commitments made by the university, she said, urging NTU to make a public announcement.
She said that NTU should set guidelines for future investments and that it consider not just profit, but also environmental risks.
In the past, the university has invested in companies with the top 12 highest levels of greenhouse gas emissions in Taiwan, Huang said.
She said she believes that input from university professors could help it establish better investment parameters.
Investments by NTU’s fund in China Steel Corp, Asia Cement Corp, Taiwan Cement Corp, Formosa Plastics Group and other companies total about NT$260 million, the student associations’ data showed.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS