TAIPEI (TVBS News) — New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Liou Her-ran (劉和然) led a delegation to Germany this month to study advanced waste-to-energy technologies. The group also presented the city's climate governance achievements at the 2026 ICLEI World Congress in Bonn. The visit ran from June 9 through June 15.
The trip reflects New Taipei City's broader push to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, aligning with international climate goals. The city has positioned itself as a leader in Taiwan's sustainable development efforts through the integration of smart technology and international cooperation with cities worldwide.
Liou represented Taiwan on the ICLEI East Asia Regional Executive Committee, presenting New Taipei's all-disaster smart monitoring platform and AI-driven flood prevention system. He exchanged experiences with city representatives from Los Angeles, Yokohama, and other cities worldwide. Under Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜), New Taipei has transformed a 30-year-old landfill into Taiwan's first zero-media industrial zone equipped with smart monitoring capabilities.
On Wednesday, Liou attended the Daring Cities 2026 conference, engaging with experts from UN-Habitat and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). The UN-Habitat Climate Change Team acknowledged New Taipei's multi-level governance model, which features direct interaction between Mayor Hou and local community leaders. The forum focused on urban climate resilience strategies.
Dr. Markus Sängerk, director of the Heddernheim facility, explained that the plant uses incineration heat to supply community heating and hot water while replacing fossil fuels with green hydrogen. Liou presented Taiwanese tea as a gift, symbolizing the exchange of sustainable development experiences between the two regions. New Taipei plans to build a dedicated facility for recycling waste wooden furniture, using AI technology to convert waste into green energy. ◼