TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan launched its first national pavilion at ChangeNOW, the world's largest sustainable solutions summit, in Paris on Monday (March 30), showcasing marine conservation technology and waste management innovations. The pavilion, supported by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外交部), Ocean Affairs Council (海洋委員會), and Taipei City Government (台北市政府), marks Asia's first dedicated national presence at the annual event, which draws corporations, startups, investors, and NGOs to the Grand Palais until April 1.
Only Taiwan, the Netherlands, and Ukraine operate national pavilions at this year's summit, making Taiwan the first Asian nation to secure a dedicated presence at the event. Santiago Lefebvre, ChangeNOW's founder, praised Taiwan's engagement and expressed hope for collaboration and funding to expand the solutions on display. Hao Pei-chih (郝培芝), Taiwan's representative to France, and Lee Tai-hsin (李泰興), Taipei's deputy mayor, inaugurated the pavilion at a ceremony attended by French lawmakers and sustainability advocates.
Hao said Taiwan has championed marine conservation and sustainable development through government policies and private-sector innovation. Lee highlighted Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an's (蔣萬安) administration slogan, "Sustainable and Inclusive, Hopeful Capital," which reflects the city's support for environmental technology startups. French National Assembly member Eric Bothorel declared "Taiwan can help" and pledged to advocate for Taiwan's inclusion in international organizations, citing its contributions to energy transition and sustainable development.
The Taiwan Pavilion features exhibits from Azure Alliance (臺灣湛藍海洋聯盟), RE-THINK, and Wonder Greener (玩艸植造), all presenting marine protection solutions. Azure Alliance displayed the third generation of its "Azure Fighter" (湛鬥機), an automated marine debris collector currently operating at Bitou Fishing Harbor (瑞芳鼻頭港) in northeastern Taiwan. Wonder Greener introduced grass straws as an alternative to plastic, with founder Chen Bo-shen (陳柏燊) noting the product's competitive pricing with paper straws and a newly completed automated production line.