TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC, 國家科學及技術委員會) clarified on Monday (Sept. 20) that the council has no plans to adjust or reduce areas related to sustainability, disaster prevention, and spatial information.
The "Education and Culture Committee" (立法院教育及文化委員會) invited NCTC Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) to report on sustainable scientific research and policy communication.
During the session, Wu emphasized that the council's funding for these interdisciplinary fields will not decrease but increase annually. He noted that the budget for 2024 will be around NT$480 million.
Academic circles have recently speculated that the council's Department of Natural Sciences and Sustainable Development (自然科學與永續研究發展處) intends to significantly adjust the positioning and development direction of sustainability science, disaster prevention technology, and spatial information technology.
These rumors have sparked concern among scholars.
In response, scholars have launched a petition urging the council to support interdisciplinary research on sustainable development through transparent and open discussions. They stressed the importance of addressing Taiwan's diverse and complex sustainability challenges.
Wu responded to the legislative inquiry by stating that the total budget for inter-ministerial net-zero technology in 2024 will be approximately NT$13 billion, with plans for further increases.