台新金控

Climate change is intensifying, and the necessity of reaching global net zero emissions is becoming more and more urgent. Taishin celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and has declared that it will make every effort to promote net zero with “conscientiousness and sustainability” as its main theme. Today (April 22) is Earth Day. Taishin has collaborated with the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy to hold the Taishin 30 Sustainable Net Zero Forum to jointly advocate sustainable net zero emissions. Vice President Ching-Te Lai and Financial Supervisory Commission Vice Chairperson Tsuey-Ling Hsiao delivered speeches at the forum in person to express their encouragement. Ambassador Eugene Chien, Chairman of the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy, gave brilliant keynote speeches. Despite the worsening COVID-19 situation in Taiwan, more than 1,800 domestic and foreign heavyweight experts and scholars, corporate leaders, corporate directors and supervisors, and experts in sustainability participated enthusiastically in the physical and online forums thanks to the high-standard epidemic prevention measures.

Taishin Financial Holdings’ Chairman Thomas Wu stated at the opening of the forum that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of Taishin and it is also the first year of net zero for the government. The National Development Council announced on the 30th of March the “Taiwan 2050 Net Zero Emission Pathway” plan, and it was approved by the Executive Yuan yesterday (April 21). Carbon fees will be levied in 2024 at the soonest. This development happens to correspond to the main theme of today’s forum. With net zero emissions becoming a global consensus, the theme of Taishin’s 30th anniversary is “Conscientiousness and Sustainability,” in hope of calling on more corporate partners to advocate for net zero emissions and join the ranks of sustainability.

Thomas Wu pointed out that Taishin has been deeply involved in sustainable operations for many years and has won widespread recognition from domestic and overseas assessments and awards. Taishin is also the first financial company in Taiwan to fully implement net zero emissions. The company is also engaging in various sustainable actions that correspond to the four major transformation strategies, including energy, industry, life, and society. These are proposed in the “Taiwan 2050 Net Zero Emission Pathway”. Internally, in addition to energy conservation and carbon reduction in daily operations, Taishin also promotes “net zero for all employees,” helping employees practice net zero carbon emissions by changing their living habits. Taishin’s goal is to achieve 100% net zero emissions at office locations by 2030. Externally, in terms of corporate clients (B2B), Taishin has signed the Equator Principles and implemented “Responsible Investment and Financing”. In terms of employees and individual clients (B2C), Taishin actively promotes the “green living” proposal for sustainable coexistence with nature. Taishin is collaborating with heavyweight strategic partners to launch a series of sustainable activities in food, clothing, housing, transportation, and even planting trees to encourage the practice of environmental sustainability in life. Thomas Wu also emphasized that no one is immune from the effects of climate change. As long as people are willing to do their part for the Earth, he believes that everyone can go “From Zero to Hero” and become a hero of the climate crisis.

Professor Rebecca Henderson, a co-chair of Harvard Business School and the Harvard University Climate Change Task Force, delivered a pre-recorded speech. She described four types of net zero emissions business models, including reducing risks, reducing costs, building brands, and reducing carbon emissions, from her experience working at international corporations. These strategies will help Taiwanese corporations accelerate their participation in sustainability. Eugene Chien stated that in the face of the huge challenges and opportunities arising from net zero transitions, the financial industry must shoulder heavy responsibilities. It is necessary to build a financial system that progresses toward net zero transitions, commits to net zero industrial transformation and technology development, cultivates citizens well-versed in net zero issues and sustainability, and collaborates in progressing towards a net zero society.

As for the two discussions held in the second half of the forum, “Net Zero Transformation and Net Zero Business Opportunities” was hosted by I-Hsi Hsiung, Deputy Chief Editor at Commonwealth Magazine. Ming-I Peng, Chief Product Officer of Gogoro, Cheng-Wei Yu, Director General of the Bureau of Energy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Chuh-Yung Chen, Director of the Hui-Zhi Green Technology Research Center at National Cheng Kung University, and Welch Lin, President of Taishin Financial Holdings participated in the discussion. They focused on assessing the planning and blueprints of the government’s net zero emissions and carbon pricing, and the subsequent impact of carbon tariffs. They also put forward suggestions on the green transformation and upgrading of the industry. Taishin Financial Holdings’ President Welch Lin emphasized in the forum that the financial industry has certain roles and responsibilities in the net zero issue. In this regard, Taishin’s net zero strategy adopts two parallel tracks. In addition to focusing on enterprises, improving responsible investment and financing, and improving digital financial services, it also encourages individuals such as customers and employees to practice carbon reduction, actively practice green life, and create sustainable value.

Another session of the forum on “Net Zero Life and Net Zero Investment” was hosted by Professor Shyan-Yuan Lee of the Department of Finance at National Taiwan University. Steven Ko, the Chairman of O’right, David Weng, Taiwania Capital CEO and General Partner of Tech Fund, Jr-Hung Huang, Professor of the Department of Architecture and Dean of the College of Design at the National Taipei University of Technology, and Eric Chien, Chief Investment Officer at Taishin Holdings participated in the discussion. The forum focused on the practice of driving green life from people’s consumption and from the perspective of green finance. It explored how the financial industry can lead the sustainable development of the industry and consumer actions. Eric Chien, Chief Investment Officer at Taishin Holdings, analyzed the financial industry’s vision and responsibility for net zero carbon emissions and shared Taishin’s specific initiatives in responding to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD), signing the Equator Principles, and joining the “Taiwan Alliance for Net Zero Emissions.”

The forum provided drinking water made from Taiwan's air by the Israeli company Watergen using atmospheric water production technology. This innovative technology has been listed as one of Israel’s seven inventions that serve the world and puts into practice the sixth item of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6) “people’s right to clean and healthy drinking water,” and helps relieve the world’s increasingly serious water shortage problem. Due to epidemic prevention measures, apart from the guest speakers and keynote speakers, the rest of the guests participated online. The forum attracted more than 1,800 directors, supervisors, and middle and top management of large domestic enterprises who participated enthusiastically, including Shinkong Textile, Compal Electronics, PChome, Global Tek, and other well-known corporations. The forum incorporated representatives from food, clothing, housing, transportation, and other industries to participate in this grand event. Taishin looks forward to gathering the efforts from partners from all sectors to gain insight into opportunities arising from climate change and to strive for net zero emissions, thereby creating a sustainable future together.