TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Climate change is a pressing issue, and many in Taiwan are doing their best to recycle and cut down on waste.
For example, Ms. Hsieh, an office worker in Taipei, never leaves home without her water bottle, eating utensils, and a reusable bag for her lunch.
Taiwan has felt the full effects of global warming in recent years. According to reports compiled by think tanks, 96% of the population has acknowledged the impacts of climate change.
While the adverse effects pertain to the entire world, pacific island countries are at the most risk. Greenpeace campaigner Chang Li-hsin pointed out that many Pacific islanders have lost their homes due to rising sea levels.
"These countries in the Pacific Islands and around Africa, because they may be slower in development, are less prepared to deal with the impact of climate change," she said. Likewise, the threat is imminent for an island like Taiwan. Taiwan has seen rising temperatures in recent years.
To this, the chairman of the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE), Eugene Chien, pointed to two strategies proposed by the United Nations to combat climate change: "mitigation" and "adaptation."
"Mitigation means we can practice saving energy and reducing carbon emissions. Adaptation is how to make our public buildings, our way of life, more adaptable to the rising temperature," he explained.
In addition to the general public's efforts to reduce waste and carbon emissions, Taiwan businesses are also pushing the ESG frameworks. At the same time, the Taiwanese government is working toward its net-zero emission goal by 2050.