The adverse effects of climate change are being felt around the world and threaten our planet and its people. Taiwan is no exception. As a nation of islands, Taiwan is especially vulnerable to climate change and could face serious challenges.
Rising temperatures and sea levels, increased severity and frequency of droughts, storms and floods, unpredictable weather patterns, water shortages and loss of biodiversity are all threats to Taiwan, as they are to other parts of the world.
The EU has been at the forefront of the global fight against climate change. It has led the way by investing in realistic technological solutions, empowering citizens and aligning action in key areas such as industrial policy, finance and research, while ensuring social equity.
Within the EU, all sectors of society and the economy are playing a role — from the power sector to industry, mobility, buildings, agriculture and forestry. Achieving climate neutrality is fundamental to securing a healthy planet for generations to come.
However, climate change is a global threat and can only be addressed by a global response. The EU is therefore stepping up its engagement on climate action across the world, including in the Indo-Pacific region. The region’s growing economic, demographic and political weight makes it a key player in shaping the rules-based international order and in addressing global challenges.
In September last year, the EU announced its Indo-Pacific Strategy — a long-term plan to work with partners in the region, including Taiwan.
One of the key priorities is to fight, mitigate and adapt to climate change, to reduce climate and disaster risks, and counter biodiversity loss, pollution and other forms of environmental degradation.
Despite not being a signatory to the Paris Agreement, Taiwan has indicated that it would join global efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The EU welcomes Taiwan’s efforts to commit to net zero emissions by 2050.
The transition to a climate-neutral society is an urgent challenge, but also an opportunity to build a better future. The EU supports its international partners in climate action. Together with Taiwan, it wants to shape a more sustainable future. This is why the EU is promoting alternative renewable energy sources and green technologies in Taiwan, such as investing in and building competitive regional supply chains in the offshore wind industry.
The EU is at the forefront of international efforts to fight climate change. Its expertise in low-carbon best practices and solutions across a wide range of industries and sectors can help Taiwan reduce its carbon emissions. It is good to see that the EU model is being used as a source of inspiration to shape a sustainable economy in Taiwan. The EU is looking forward to working with Taiwan to promote and implement ambitious climate and energy policies.
This year’s EU Climate Action Week starts today. The European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan wants to focus on the significant role of young people in building a better and greener future. With opportunities to learn, share your vision, meet people and engage in activities, now is a moment for us to move forward together with confidence and hope for the future.
Our office is to organize several events to raise awareness and discuss how the EU and Taiwan can collaborate to limit the effects of climate change.
The choices we make define our future. We need to encourage and empower younger generations to find new ways to tackle this collective challenge. This is not an idealistic or naive pursuit. We must stay true to our values, listen to science, strengthen our economies and build a better future for all of us.
Filip Grzegorzewski is the director of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taipei.
As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reach the point of confidence that they can start and win a war to destroy the democratic culture on Taiwan, any future decision to do so may likely be directly affected by the CCP’s ability to promote wars on the Korean Peninsula, in Europe, or, as most recently, on the Indian subcontinent. It stands to reason that the Trump Administration’s success early on May 10 to convince India and Pakistan to deescalate their four-day conventional military conflict, assessed to be close to a nuclear weapons exchange, also served to
The recent aerial clash between Pakistan and India offers a glimpse of how China is narrowing the gap in military airpower with the US. It is a warning not just for Washington, but for Taipei, too. Claims from both sides remain contested, but a broader picture is emerging among experts who track China’s air force and fighter jet development: Beijing’s defense systems are growing increasingly credible. Pakistan said its deployment of Chinese-manufactured J-10C fighters downed multiple Indian aircraft, although New Delhi denies this. There are caveats: Even if Islamabad’s claims are accurate, Beijing’s equipment does not offer a direct comparison
After India’s punitive precision strikes targeting what New Delhi called nine terrorist sites inside Pakistan, reactions poured in from governments around the world. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a statement on May 10, opposing terrorism and expressing concern about the growing tensions between India and Pakistan. The statement noticeably expressed support for the Indian government’s right to maintain its national security and act against terrorists. The ministry said that it “works closely with democratic partners worldwide in staunch opposition to international terrorism” and expressed “firm support for all legitimate and necessary actions taken by the government of India
Taiwan aims to elevate its strategic position in supply chains by becoming an artificial intelligence (AI) hub for Nvidia Corp, providing everything from advanced chips and components to servers, in an attempt to edge out its closest rival in the region, South Korea. Taiwan’s importance in the AI ecosystem was clearly reflected in three major announcements Nvidia made during this year’s Computex trade show in Taipei. First, the US company’s number of partners in Taiwan would surge to 122 this year, from 34 last year, according to a slide shown during CEO Jensen Huang’s (黃仁勳) keynote speech on Monday last week.
RSS