Photo by Peter Ralphski on Unsplash
Aligning with the world to confront climate risks while energizing broad participation to achieve sustainable development.
Climate change is rapidly reshaping the global economic structure and risk landscape. Taiwan is not immune to this growing challenge. In the summer of 2025, southern and eastern Taiwan were struck by successive typhoons and torrential rainfall, causing severe flooding in many locations and underscoring the profound effect of extreme climate on regional development and public safety, writes Peng Chi-Ming.
As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is moving to address climate change in line with global efforts to limit temperature increases to 1.5°C over baseline. In 2025, Taiwan presented a clear and transparent Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2035, setting explicit goals for a low-carbon transition. With the regular publication of National Inventory Reports on greenhouse gases as well as Biennial Transparency Reports, Taiwan is disclosing its progress and demonstrating its commitment to meeting its responsibilities as concerns the global effort to reduce emissions.
When he took office in 2024, President Lai Ching-te announced the National Project of Hope, setting out a policy vision for green growth and a 2050 net-zero transition. His administration has since dictated five major strategies for advancing the net-zero transformation: developing an intelligent green energy strategy; promoting a dual-track industrial transformation involving both digitalisation and greening; fostering net-zero, sustainable lifestyles; ensuring a leading government role supporting the transition; and achieving a just transition that leaves no one behind. In June 2024, the National Climate Change Committee was established under the Office of the President to create societal momentum and facilitate dialogue on national climate governance strategies. Through this process, Taiwan set new emissions reduction targets, 26 to 30 percent by 2030 and 36 to 40 percent by 2035 compared with the base year.
Setting ambitious mid-term targets to steer the net-zero transition
Taiwan is focusing on mid-term targets as the core strategy by which to steer its transition to net-zero emissions by 2050. It is also progressively building an institutional, action-oriented climate governance framework. The Climate Change Response Act enshrines in law the 2050 net-zero goal. Moreover, in line with the updated NDC under the Paris Agreement, Taiwan is voluntarily advancing its implementation in accordance with Article 4 obligations. It is concurrently reviewing and refining its mitigation pathway. Taiwan has raised its 2030 target to a 28 percent ± 2 percent reduction from 2005 levels while setting mid-term goals of 32 percent ± 2 percent by 2032 and 38 percent ± 2 percent by 2035.
In parallel, Taiwan has launched the Comprehensive Carbon Reduction Action Plan. Through a bottom-up approach, every ministry and agency is reviewing and improving its own mitigation programmes, while the National Council for Sustainable Development is in the meanwhile utilising a top-down strategy to identify and coordinate 20 flagship mitigation actions. Among these are accelerated deployment of solar photovoltaics and offshore wind; breakthroughs in geothermal and small hydropower technology; high-tech energy storage; low-carbon fuels and hydrogen (including ammonia) supply chains; carbon capture, utilization, and storage; industry self-mitigation measures; enhanced energy efficiency; decarbonisation of state-owned enterprises; near-zero carbon buildings; electrification and decarbonisation of commercial vehicles; sustainable aviation fuel; agricultural resilience and carbon sinks; low-carbon, sustainable agriculture; circular resource use; and net-zero, sustainable lifestyles. Complementing these are six institutional innovation mechanisms: technological innovation, financial support, carbon pricing, regulatory adaptation, green workforce development, and community-driven engagement. These will further enhance national mitigation efforts.
Advancing voluntary compliance and fostering inclusive dialogue
In accordance with Article 4 of the Paris Agreement and the decision adopted at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP28) in 2023, parties are required to submit 2035 greenhouse gas reduction targets (NDC 3.0) by 2025. Although Taiwan is not a party to the convention, it has voluntarily aligned with the UNFCCC framework and timeline in submitting its NDC 3.0 this year. Developed in line with guidance on information necessary to facilitate clarity, transparency, and understanding, Taiwan’s NDC 3.0 shows enhanced ambition and fairness comparable to those of other countries.
The NDC 3.0 highlights 10 key dimensions: (1) equity and ambition; (2) the domestic legal and institutional framework for climate governance; (3) smart green energy strategies for an energy transition; (4) the dual-track transformation of digital and green industries; (5) green finance and carbon pricing; (6) net-zero, sustainable lifestyles through community-driven initiatives; (7) a just transition and green workforce development; (8) international cooperation; (9) climate change adaptation; and (10) human rights, gender equality, and the rights and welfare of children and youth. These components ensure a science-based and transparent framework for Taiwan’s concrete actions on climate.
During the formulation of the NDC 3.0, extensive public engagement and multistakeholder consultations were conducted. Meetings were held under the Comprehensive Carbon Reduction Action Plan to discuss 20 flagship mitigation actions, engaging participants from government, industry, academia, and civil society to build consensus and jointly find climate solutions. In parallel, experts in a variety of areas—including human rights, gender equality, child welfare, youth participation, and technology—were consulted. Outreach efforts also covered NGOs, university students, and indigenous communities. The diverse perspectives of these various groups and individuals were incorporated into the NDC 3.0 draft, ensuring that Taiwan’s submission to the international community reflects a comprehensive, inclusive, and forward-looking commitment to long-term climate action.
Promoting a combined carbon fee system and emissions trading system approach to carbon pricing
Taiwan officially launched its carbon fee system this year as well as pilot reporting. The fee was initially set at approximately US$10 per metric ton CO2e. Establishing a national carbon price is a new milestone. To ensure that the system is effective, it features earmarked funds, self-determined reductions, preferential rates, and other measures that address sectors with high risk for carbon leakage. Such measures will incentivise emissions reductions in high-emitting sectors while enhancing fairness and encouraging participation. The carbon fee system has as its main objective reducing emissions and is projected to reduce emissions by 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) by 2030.
This marks the first year of carbon pricing in Taiwan. For the next stage, the government will draw on international practices to stabilize the carbon fee system and introduce a cap-and-trade emissions trading scheme in stages that ensures price incentives and fair competition. This will create a dual-track carbon pricing framework. Such a structure reflects requests by our domestic industries for diversified incentives and market tools while also enhancing system resilience and creating a foundation for alignment with international carbon markets.
As concerns international cooperation, Taiwan is preparing for substantive engagement under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, thereby bolstering the regulatory and institutional groundwork for participation in global carbon markets. By making progress on both domestic carbon pricing instruments and international cooperation, Taiwan aims to create its own model of carbon market engagement and make meaningful contributions to the global net-zero transition as a key export-oriented player in regional and global supply chains.
Integrating resources and expanding networks for climate adaptation
In response to the effects of climate change, Taiwan is pressing forward with nationwide climate change adaptation policies in line with Article 7 of the Paris Agreement, which calls for strengthening adaptation actions at all levels. Taiwan has established a National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan with a four-year cycle. It covers seven areas, including critical infrastructure, water resources, land use, coasts and oceans, energy supply and industry, agricultural production and biodiversity, and health. It also addresses capacity building. Local governments have developed climate change adaptation programmes to promote context-specific adaptations, with annual progress reports published to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability.
This year, central and local governments, public health experts, and non-governmental organisations have established the Heat Adaptation Strategy Alliance as a response to the problem of heat. In the future, we will continue to build upon this public-private cooperation model, expand the adaptation action network, and enhance overall national resilience.
Connecting to global transformations and shaping a new era of climate action
COP30 will be a landmark event as we mark five years since the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The gathering will serve as the starting point of the next phase of global climate action. Taiwan is aligning with the international community by submitting its NDC 3.0 and completing its first Biennial Transparency Report to respond to the global transparency framework addressed in Article 13 of the Paris Agreement. Such efforts underscore the predictability of Taiwan’s climate policies as well as its commitment to global dialogue.
Taiwan is also acting determinedly on the net-zero transition by furthering work on carbon pricing, driving structural transformation, extending its adaptation actions, and building robust policy support frameworks. Such work demonstrates both resolve and the capacity to confront the challenges of climate change. Yet Taiwan recognizes that net zero is not something any one nation can achieve alone, but rather is a collective journey the global community is taking together.
We call on all countries to support Taiwan’s participation in COP30 in Belém, Brazil, this November, so as to empower Taiwan and the international community to jointly respond to the climate crisis in the spirit of COP30’s “Global Mutirão.” Working together, we can move toward the full implementation of the Paris Agreement and create a net-zero world.
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The Author, Peng Chi-Ming, is the Minister of the Environment of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
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