The current Ambassador-at-Large for Taiwan and Chairman of the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE), Dr. Eugene Chien, also known as the “Sustainability Father,” recently spoke in an interview with 《The Icons》, titled “Taiwan Ambassador Eugene Chien, Chairman of the TAISE: Asia-Pacific Experience is Making a Global Impact!” In the interview, he discussed his lifelong journey in sustainability advocacy, starting from his role as the first minister of environment. Since founding TAISE in 2007, Chairman Chien has tirelessly promoted cross-border sustainability efforts worldwide, evolving from a solitary endeavor to becoming a leader in Asia-Pacific sustainability initiatives.
This time, under his leadership, the Alliance for Sustainable Development of Taiwan (A·SDGs), with TAISE as the executing body, hosted the 6th Global Corporate Sustainability Forum (GCSF) themed “Accelerating Transition in Global Change.” The four-day event attracted over 7,000 participants from various sectors, including government, industry, and academia. During the forum, the Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Awards (TCSA) ceremony recognized companies that exemplify sustainable development.
In a subsequent interview with 《The Icons,》 Chairman Chien emphasized, “The journey of TAISE hasn’t been without challenges. In the initial years, corporate interest in sustainability was lacking, but in recent years, sustainability has gained prominence. This year, we had a record-breaking 526 companies participating, showcasing a growing commitment to sustainability.”
TAISE Sharpening the Sword for 16 Years
Since its establishment in 2007, TAISE has been devoted to sustainable advocacy. Just this past November, the organization celebrated its 16th anniversary. Chairman Chien, during the celebration, cut the birthday cake and made a wish for “national security, net-zero success, and sustainable development.”
Looking ahead to TAISE’s future, Chairman Chien aspires to “continue embracing its mission and leading Taiwan’s society towards sustainability.” He also announced that TAISE will continue to cultivate talent, deepen its professional services, and prioritize “digitalization” and “internationalization” as key directions in the next phase.
“The initial years of TAISE were challenging,” Chairman Chien reflected. In the early days of advocating sustainability to businesses, companies were more concerned about profitability. “I vividly remember that we were almost on the verge of shutting down. At that time, having just stepped down from the public sector, without official authority, I found it challenging to promote advocacy. But there’s a saying, “carrot and stick!” I didn’t have a stick, but I could use the carrot to pique everyone’s interest.”
To attract corporate participation, TAISE started organizing competitions. In the first year, only 16 companies participated. “However, these participating companies later provided very positive feedback, realizing that sustainable actions not only benefit society but also positively enhance a company’s competitiveness,” Chairman Chien recalled.
With the support of partners, TAISE’s development entered a prosperous phase. The TCSA is now in its 16th year, with a cumulative total of 731 companies participating over the years. This represents 80% of Taiwan’s listed company market value, making it the highest honor in sustainability awards in the Asia-Pacific region.
Cultivating Sustainable Education in Depth
With the United States proposing the Clean Competition Act (CCA) and the European Union experimenting with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), driving a global trend toward low-carbon transformation in supply chains, Chairman Chien emphasizes that business leaders should proactively understand and formulate medium to long-term plans to adapt to the future trend of net-zero. He believes that these changes will bring opportunities.
“This is the beginning of a major transformative era!” Chairman Chien believes that in the face of transformation, only a change in people’s mindset can achieve goals. “TAISE insists on starting from education, providing guidance, organizing competitions, advocating climate-related issues, and promoting sustainable development. At the same time, we host expos, forums, and workshops to assist industries, government, and academia in capacity building, tirelessly working towards these goals for the past 16 years.”
TAISE encourages stakeholders to sign the “Sustainable Development Advocacy Charter.” Since signing an agreement with National Taipei University in 2017, 58 universities have declared themselves as sustainable universities as of November this year. Following Shin Kong Wu Huo-Shih Memorial Hospita’s initiative in March, 44 hospitals have also committed to moving towards sustainable development.
Furthermore, TAISE actively promotes sustainable education, systematically imparting sustainable thinking and skills. The Corporate Perseverance Elite Training Course has trained 9,400 individuals. Professional certification courses such as “Corporate Sustainability Manager,” “Climate Change Adaptation Manager,” and “Sustainable Finance Manager” are among the most popular courses today
Eugene Chien: Digitization and Internationalization are Key Dual Tracks for Sustainable Education
This year’s TCSA focuses on the dual tracks of digitization and internationalization, featuring over 15 categories of awards that encompass enterprises, hospitals, financial institutions, government sectors, NGOs, and educational institutions at all levels.
Chairman Chien believes that the purpose of the awards is not just to rank organizations based on scores but rather to provide benchmarks and exemplary learning cases through outstanding organizations and individuals. The goal is to drive overall sustainability development in Taiwan.
Staying in sync with international standards, TAISE extends its awards globally through the GCSA. This year’s awardees include Indonesia’s largest petroleum company, PT Pegadaian, Asia Pulp & Paper Sinar Mas (APP), Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Société Générale, Nespresso Taiwan, and Volvo Group—globally renowned companies and industry leaders.
Currently, TAISE is actively exploring an ESG digital smart evaluation mechanism, forging connections with internationally recognized academic institutions to assist Taiwanese organizations in aligning with global standards. There are also plans to export experiences in sustainable talent training. In today’s world, the low-carbon transformation has become an undeniable global trend. Building on 16 years of sustainable advocacy in the Asia-Pacific region, TAISE is stepping onto the global stage to lead the journey toward sustainable development.
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