Officials and industry executives at the Taiwan International Green Industry Show yesterday said they are confident in their long-term vision to transform cities in the Greater Taipei area into “smart, green” cities running on renewable energy and generating a lower carbon output.
At the four-day exhibition, which concluded yesterday, representatives from the local public and private sectors showcased the latest developments in electric vehicles, fuel cells, energy conservation, environmental protection equipment, water recycling and solar energy.
Held in conjunction with the Taiwan International Smart Green City Expo, the event’s three major themes were: clean energy, “green” environment and water technology.
“Exports of Taiwan’s green industry amounted to US$40.5 billion last year, accounting for 13.5 percent of total exports. This indicates that the nation’s green industry is becoming an important sector and will continue to grow,” Bureau of Foreign Trade Director Chang Chun-fu (張俊福) told the press.
“Taiwan is well-known for the manufacturing strength of its ICT [information and communications technology] industry and we are also developing our solar energy sector. So Taiwan is in a good position to offer its technical know-how to collaborate with other countries in building the intelligent green cities of the future,” Taiwan External Trade Development Council president Peter Huang (黃文榮) said.
The expo’s Taipei City Pavilion was focused on the goal of making Taipei a low-carbon capital through intelligent urban landscape planning, green buildings and expanding public transportation networks. The city’s YouBike public rental scheme and bike path network were also showcased at the pavilion.
Meanwhile, New Taipei City’s (新北市) Green Industry Pavilions served as a venue for local businesses to promote new LED lighting, solar energy, fuel cells, battery storage, wind power, water treatment and recycling technologies and products.
The urban planning challenges of making Taipei low-carbon and eco-friendly were among the major topics discussed at the expo’s main event: the Taiwan International Smart Green City Summit.
Damian Tang (鄧國輝), head of the Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects, said that the population of cities will rise for the next several decades, “but people do not like to live in cities that are dark, bleak and packed with high-rise buildings.”
To solve this problem, Tang advocated using new urban landscaping concepts, such as integrating tree ecosystems into building exteriors or building eco-friendly public housing, which are currently being developed in Singapore.
Local and foreign delegates attending the expo also explored overseas business opportunities.
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