The Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), Taiwan Carbon Solution Exchange (TCX), and the Center for Carbon Research and Solution (CCRS) of National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) recently co-hosted the “Launching the Carbon Market: A New Chapter for a Sustainable Future” summit at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. The summit focused on the latest policies, technologies, and case studies in the field of carbon trading, attracting over 300 participants actively engaging to the event. Minister of Economic Affairs Mei-Hua Wang, Deputy Director of Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau Shi-hong Huang, Chief Sustainability Officer of E. Sun FHC Louis L.Y. Chang, Executive Director of Sustainability and Climate Change Services at PwC Chia-hung Chang, representatives from China Steel Corporation, and experts from various government sectors, all attended to this summit to explore global trends in carbon pricing, how Climate Change Response Act enhances net-zero transformation, and how green transformation practices drive carbon reduction.

Minister Mei-Hua Wang stated that the world is currently facing immense pressure to reduce carbon emissions, and it has become a clear international trend for enterprises to actively pursue carbon reduction and net-zero transformation. She emphasized that carbon reduction performance will directly impact whether companies can secure orders, "it's just as important as doing business." Minister Mei-Hua Wang stressed that enterprises should first make every effort to reduce their own emissions, and then offset any unavoidable emissions through purchasing carbon credits. In order to avoid global concerns over misconceptions and unclear certification in carbon trading, the government has designated the TWSE to establish the TCX as a fair and professionally certified platform for carbon trading in Taiwan, working alongside the Ministry of Economic Affairs to support enterprises in their carbon reduction transition.
 

Sherman Lin, Chairman of the TWSE and TCX, stated that as the only officially designated carbon trading institution in Taiwan, the TCX will provide a transparent and impartial trading platform to introduce high-quality carbon credits with international credibility. In addition to matching entities with carbon reduction needs, it will also drive the development of low-carbon and negative-carbon technologies and industries. At the same time, TCX is collaborating with the CCRS to promote the dissemination and accessibility of carbon knowledge and information, including opening courses for international certification and organizing forums for communication among industry, government, and academia, to cultivate carbon management professionals and lay a solid foundation for Taiwan's accelerating transition to net-zero.

The EU began the trial phase of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) this October, regulating importers of carbon-intensive products into the EU to report the carbon emissions of their products; and starting in 2026, importers will be obligated to purchase carbon certificates. During the first panel discussion on the impact of CBAM, Director Hung-Jeng Tsai of the CCRS opened the session by raising concerns about how Taiwanese companies and their supply chains can respond to these new carbon reduction mechanisms. Chia-Hsien Yang, Director of Trade Development Division at Taiwan International Trade Administration, outlined the profile and scale of Taiwanese export corporations affected by CBAM. Chao-Chung Kuo, Director at the Industrial Development Administration, elaborated on the challenges domestic SMEs face in conducting carbon inventories. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has been proactively identifying and visiting affected enterprises across Taiwan, guiding them to utilize the low-carbon and digital transformation resources provided by the ministry, to initiate carbon reduction efforts. Associate Professor Chien-Yuan Sher from the CCRS further reminded the participants that while CBAM brings considerable impacts, enterprises may recognize carbon inventory as an opportunity for driving digital transformation. Also, carbon management can serve as a motivation for new industrial development and innovation. He also mentioned that there are a number of service providers claiming to offer CBAM reporting, carbon inventory, and certification services; he warned that enterprises should carefully assess and select these providers to avoid fraud.

The summit also focused on how the recently passed Climate Change Response Act can effectively facilitate corporate and national transitions toward net-zero. I-Yun Su, Director at the Climate Change Administration under the Ministry of Environment, explained that the two key sub-regulations governing carbon trading are in effect, encouraging major emitters subject to carbon fees to propose voluntary reduction plans and strive to meet reduction targets. In return, they may benefit from preferential carbon fee rates, and any reductions exceeding targets may be used to offset other emission sources. By the end of the year, the Ministry of Environment plans to announce the details of enforcing the Climate Change Response Act, including carbon fee collection and allowance trading. With these measures, Taiwan will officially enter an era where carbon emissions carry a price. Joshua Tien, General Manager of TCX listed the various domestic and international mechanisms and allowance that can be traded on the platform. He also announced that by the end of the year, the TCX will take lead in introducing high-quality international carbon credits to help enterprises close the final gap toward achieving net-zero emissions. Anton Gao, Professor of the Institute of Law for Science and Technology under National Tsing Hua University, who has long studied environmental and energy law, discussed the effectiveness of the various measures under the Climate Change Response Act in achieving Taiwan’s net-zero targets. He also emphasized that the level of carbon fees and the feasibility of establishing the Emissions Trading System (ETS) in Taiwan are critical economic incentives needed to realize net-zero transition for the country.
 

Net-zero transformation relies on collaboration between national and local governments, enterprises, and civil society. It requires not only policy and capital market support but also third-party guidance to collectively achieve overall net-zero goals. To conclude the summit, Deputy Director of Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau Shi-hong Huang shared how the Kaohsiung City Government is driving corporate carbon reduction through policies and concrete actions. The summit also featured representatives from China Steel Corporation, Eternal Materials, E.SUN Financial Holding, and PwC Sustainability Services, who shared how large corporations can lead smaller enterprises in actively decarbonizing the supply chain, implementing digital transformation to accelerate carbon inventory, disclosing information on sustainable investment, and driving internal behavioral change. These green transformation practices collectively empower climate action and move Taiwan closer to a net-zero future.

This summit served as a prelude to the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 that will take place on November 30th. COP28 will mark the first comprehensive global stocktake of the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted under the Paris Agreement. To follow up, the TCX and CCRS will co-host a post-COP28 event titled "Toward a Net-Zero Future" on December 19th, featuring climate leaders who attended to the conference in Dubai, will share firsthand insights and observations from COP28, and provide analysis on the latest international climate movements.
 

🔗Article Source：NSYSU NEWS