Secretariat, Taipei City Government

Taipei Mayor Wan-An Chiang was invited to attend the “Summit of Mayors: From Paris to Belém-10 Years of Global Action for Climate,” and participated in the event on June 23, local time. He joined crucial city leaders from around the world, such as Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo) Mayor Dieudonné Bantsimba, Douala (Cameroon) Mayor Roger Mbassa Ndine, Utrecht (Netherlands) Mayor Sharon Dijksma, Rabat (Morocco) Mayor Fatiha El Moudni, and Carlos Moreno, co-founder and scientific director of the “Entrepreneurship, Territory, Innovation” Chair. In the first round of the forum, Mayor Chiang shared Taipei’s concrete policies and experiences in advancing environmental sustainability.

The summit was opened by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who invited President of the European Council António Costa and former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius, who also holds the Presidency of the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change—informally known as the Paris Agreement—to deliver remarks. Mayor Hidalgo noted that the gathering of city leaders and international experts and scholars commemorated the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement and sought to transform commitments into concrete policies and actions. She emphasized that global warming is a severe challenge faced by all countries, and hoped that through this conference, greater consensus could be established to jointly discover concrete solutions to climate change.

As the only speaker from Asia, Mayor Chiang shared in the forum how Taipei City has integrated sustainability into citizens’ daily lives. He observed that Taipei’s substantial progress in sustainable governance stems from two simple yet highly influential changes: the reform of waste disposal methods and the transformation of transportation habits.

Mayor Chiang hummed the familiar melody of “Für Elise” at the venue. He said that in Taipei, when citizens hear this melody in the evening, they know it is time to take out the trash. People head out carrying blue, government-designated garbage bags, throwing out trash and greeting their neighbors—and this small daily ritual reflects a profound cultural transformation. 

He explained that Taipei City began with a “Keep Trash Off the Ground” policy, which stipulates that garbage trucks collect waste only at fixed times and locations each day, and citizens are not allowed to discard garbage at will. Subsequently, a “Per Bag Trash Collection Fee” was implemented, which requires residents to pay for and use government-issued garbage bags for waste disposal, whereas recycling remains free of charge. This “pay-as-you-throw” system encourages citizens to reduce waste because the less they throw away, the more money they save. The policy has produced remarkable results: household waste has decreased by 65%, and each citizen now produces less than half a kilogram of garbage per day. The recycling rate has increased from 2% to over 66%, saving Taipei City more than US$400 million annually in waste treatment costs.

Regarding transportation policy, Mayor Chiang noted that the Taipei Metro, with 2 million daily riders, ranks among the most reliable systems globally.  Taipei’s YouBike system is similar to the Vélib’ system in Paris. Mayor Chiang shared that since taking office, he has promoted a policy offering the first 30 minutes of YouBike rides for free, which has considerably increased YouBike use and encouraged one-quarter of users to shift from driving or riding motorcycles to using shared bicycles.

Mayor Chiang also revealed that the Taipei City Government will invest more than US$600 million this year in climate action, including toward the full electrification of public buses by 2030 and continued expansion of the metro network. He also enthusiastically shared that Taipei will host a major global smart transportation event—the ITS World Congress—in 2029, and sincerely invited mayors from all participating countries to visit Taipei at that time to witness firsthand how the city translates policy into practice and drives change through concrete actions.

Mayor Chiang expressed his gratitude for the establishment of the Paris Agreement, affirming that this international accord has provided clear and actionable guidelines for cities such as Taipei. He remarked that Taipei is the first city in Taiwan to pass a “Self-Government Ordinance for the Management of Net-Zero Emissions” and has set clear targets to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030, 65% by 2040, and 100% by 2050, achieving net-zero carbon emissions.

Mayor Chiang also shared that in May, NVIDIA announced that it had chosen Taipei as the site of its first global overseas headquarters, “The Constellation.” This new headquarters will not only bring employment, investment, and innovation to Taipei but also raises another thought-provoking question: “Can we achieve economic growth without increasing carbon emissions?” Mayor Chiang firmly stated that Taipei’s answer is “Yes.” The city government is developing Beitou Shilin Technology Park into a comprehensive net-zero model zone featuring low-carbon buildings, wind corridor designs, and sustainable infrastructure. The Constellation will be located within this zone, serving as a symbol of Taipei’s technological vision and as proof of the possibility and feasibility of “green growth.”

In addition to his forum presentation, Mayor Chiang also engaged in multiple side exchanges—from the welcome dinner on the eve of the summit to the events on June 23—with leaders such as London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Brussels Mayor Philippe Close, and Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante. After Mayor Chiang concluded his forum remarks, several mayors and expert representatives expressed their recognition, among whom Utrecht Mayor Sharon Dijksma highly praised Taipei’s practical approaches and impressive results. In addition to expressing his gratitude, Mayor Chiang presented Taipei promotional brochures to the participating representatives.