Net Zero, New Taipei Takes the Lead
The Sixth Assessment Report (IPCC AR6), published by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2021, points out that the global average temperature has risen by 1.09°C in the last 10 years compared with its baseline at the start of the Industrial Revolution. When the temperature rise exceeds 1.5°C, it will bring about serious and irreversible environmental damage.
 
New Taipei City, Taiwan's most populous city, has been proactively coping with climate issues. In 2019, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, New Taipei City published “New Taipei SDGs Voluntary Local Review” and became the first city in the country to join the Powering Past Coal Alliance. In 2020, New Taipei City was also Taiwan's first city to sign the Climate Emergency Declaration and establish the New Taipei City Climate Change Response Steering Groups to pragmatically implement the New Taipei City Climate Action Plan. In 2021, the City proposed the "Net Zero, New Taipei Takes the Lead'' program, taking the lead to announce its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Finally, after close coordination with experts from various fields, industry representatives and civic groups, the "New Taipei City's Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050 and Climate Action White Paper'' was officially completed in 2022, laying out concrete strategies and steps to move towards realizing the 2050 Net-Zero goal.
 
Smart Zero-Carbon Building
In 2020, carbon emissions from residential and commercial buildings in New Taipei City accounted for 39% of the City's emissions. The City has laid out 31 action plans to reduce carbon emissions in the residential and commercial buildings, with public power consumption standards for new buildings, green building control regulations, introduction of intelligent management systems to social housing, and low-carbon community transformations. These plans all aim to achieve the goal of near-zero building emissions through strategies such as energy saving and monitoring, energy-saving renovation, and zero-carbon power sources.
 
Outcomes(2024):

Zero Waste Circular Life
With a circular economy as the core value and three strategies: Circular Life, Circular Engineering, and Circular Agriculture, as foundations, the environment and agriculture departments aim to achieve zero waste circular life cycles with 11 action plans, including: golden recycling stations, subsidizing organic campus composting facilities for kitchen waste, full reuse of waste incineration slag, and friendly farms.
 
Outcomes(2024):

Clean Production Industry
As the first city in Taiwan to join the Powering Past Coal Alliance, New Taipei City aims to realize clean production industry through two strategies: Energy Conversion and Energy Efficiency Improvement, and 12 action plans, including: establishment of geothermal power generation demonstration sites, promotion of solar power generation systems in public areas and private buildings, efficiency improvement of smart industries, etc.
 
Outcomes(2024):

 Green Transport
In 2020, the carbon emissions of the transportation sector in New Taipei City accounted for 25% of the City's total carbon emissions. New Taipei City aims to build a green and friendly transportation network through 10 action plans (e.g., construction of additional mass rapid transit systems, construction of Bali light rail transit system, full introduction of official electric vehicles, and expansion of public bicycle service facilities and areas, etc.) and three major strategies (e.g., promotion of public transport, electrification of transport and optimization of human-centered transportation).
 
Outcomes(2024):

Resilient and Livable City
In order to improve the urban system's climate resilience and adaptability, the City laid out 16 action plans, including: hillside development control mechanisms and establishment of the disaster prevention and early warning system, construction of river environmental information and pollution early warning and monitoring systems, establishment of the real-time monitoring system (all-disaster intelligent command and monitoring center),and building a low-carbon, sustainable home, and using 3 main strategies: enhancement of regional environmental adaptability, application of technologies for comprehensive disaster prevention and relief, and being rooted in community-centered adaptability, in order to make New Taipei City a resilient and livable city. Through the action plans, the resilience and adaptability of the City will be improved.

The publication of "New Taipei City's Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050 and Climate Action White Paper" represents New Taipei City's joining the ranks of the world's first-class cities that share the responsibility to work towards the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. The transformation of net-zero emissions is imperative. Corporations, civic groups, citizens and the City Government must work together to make a difference for the Earth, turning the tide of climate change through proactive actions.