Secretariat, Taipei City Government

On November 29, a delegation from the CityNet Climate Change Cluster visited the Taipei City Government. Headed by Deputy Secretary-General Aisa Tobing, the delegation was warmly received by Tai-Hsin Lee, the Secretary-General and Chief Sustainability Officer of the Taipei City Government, who was representing Mayor Chiang. The delegation held a forum with employees from the Taipei City Government, New Taipei City Government, and Taoyuan City Government, during which they exchanged insights on topics such as climate change, net-zero carbon emissions, and energy conservation.

At the forum, Secretary-General Lee delivered the opening speech and, representing Mayor Chiang, warmly welcomed Deputy Secretary-General Tobing from the CityNet Secretariat, representatives of international cities from the Climate Change Cluster, and Kung-Yueh Chao, the Executive Director of the International Climate Development Institute (ICDI). As the Chief Sustainability Officer, Secretary-General Lee emphasized Taipei’s role as a leading city in Taiwan and its responsibility in addressing climate change challenges. Since taking office, Mayor Chiang has been emphasizing the attainment of net-zero carbon emissions and incorporating climate change response strategies into his urban governance plans, with the aim of enhancing the urban resilience of Taipei City. Mayor Chiang is also promoting energy transition and the development of policies related to green energy creation and storage. Furthermore, Secretary-General Lee used this opportunity to inform the visiting delegation that the Taipei City Government will host the 2024 CityNet Disaster Cluster Meeting and cohost the 2025 World Masters Games with the New Taipei City Government. He welcomed the delegation to revisit Taipei and participate in these upcoming events. 

At the Forum, representatives from the Quezon City Government in the Philippines and the Department of Environmental Protection of the Taipei City Government delivered presentations on the Best Practices in Local Climate Action and Towards a Net-Zero Taipei, respectively. They also conducted discussions on environmental sustainability strategies with the representatives from various cities who were in attendance. In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Nangang Shanshuilu Eco Park, where Li-An Chou, the Director of the Waste Disposal Site of the Department of Environmental Protection, Taipei City Government, delivered a presentation and guided the delegation on a tour through the park. The international guests toured the city’s Energy Creation and Storage Demonstration Site, which demonstrates the integration of various technologies such as those relating to photovoltaics, wind power generation, and hydrogen fuel cells. Through the exchange of knowledge and experiences, the Taipei City Government aims to work with the international society to achieve its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, thereby ensuring environmental sustainability. 

The events on that day were part of the 2023 CityNet Climate Leadership Program. The participating members included representatives of the Taipei City Government, New Taipei Government, and Taoyuan City Government; officials from the CityNet Secretariat offices in Indonesia, South Korea, and the Philippines; and representatives from Jakarta City in Indonesia, Quezon City in the Philippines, the ICDI, and other public and private sectors. Together, they extensively exchanged their views on the proposed climate change strategies and case studies involving various cities.