In recent years, climate change has garnered increasing global attention, prompting a flurry of carbon reduction policy initiatives from various countries. The European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a key carbon pricing and reduction measure, not only impacts global trade but also presents new challenges and opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises. To ensure that carbon emissions from imported goods comply with EU environmental standards and prevent carbon leakage and shifting, the European Parliament and the European Commission officially adopted the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism Act (CBAM) on May 16th of this year. The CBAM Act will be piloted in October of this year and will begin in 2026. Carbon tariffs will be imposed on imported goods such as steel, cement, fertilizers, aluminum, electricity, hydrogen, certain precursors, and downstream steel products (such as screws and bolts). This will result in higher import costs for goods from high-carbon-emitting countries, further encouraging businesses to reduce carbon emissions and promoting the development of the global carbon market. The implementation of CBAM will have a direct impact on small and medium-sized enterprises, as these enterprises may face higher production costs and trade competition pressure. However, CBAM also brings many new opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises, such as promoting carbon reduction in enterprises, achieving carbon neutrality goals by obtaining carbon quotas through participating in carbon market transactions, seeking cooperation with green technology companies to promote the research and development and innovation of carbon reduction technologies, accelerate product upgrades, improve corporate core competitiveness, and develop renewable energy and environmentally friendly products through green industrial transformation to open up new markets. However, the implementation of CBAM will also bring some challenges to small and medium-sized enterprises, such as how to adapt to the new trade

Seventy percent of Taiwan's raw materials are imported, and carbon emissions related to product manufacturing account for 45%. To strengthen resource recycling and enhance industrial resilience, at a forum held by the Environmental Protection Administration on the 30th of last month, UMC Senior Director Lai Huairen suggested that the government proactively connect with industry through AI technology to help them identify various waste resource opportunities and reduce the cost of finding partners. Taiwan Cement is turning waste into energy, using various alternative fuels such as leucaena. "Resource recycling and zero waste" is one of the 12 key strategies for its net-zero path. Lai Yingying, Director of the Environmental Protection Administration's Resource Recycling Office and Director of the Waste Management Division, stated that Taiwan relies on imports for 70% of its raw materials, and carbon emissions related to product manufacturing account for 45%. To reduce carbon emissions and enhance resilience, a shift in thinking is necessary to create new circular business models that maximize resource recycling and minimize waste disposal. The Environmental Protection Administration's Resource Recycling Office held a forum on the 30th titled "Resource Transformation Towards Sustainability," inviting companies to share how they are turning waste into resources. Lai Huairen, senior director of the Risk Management and Safety and Environmental Protection Department of UMC, pointed out that UMC's "Circular Economy Resource Creation Center" is expected to be put into use in 2025. It is not only the first waste resource research and development center in Southern Taiwan Science Park, but also an important indicator of domestic industrial circular symbiosis and transformation, which can reduce 15,000 tons of waste annually. Lu Kefu, deputy general manager of Taiwan Cement, said that Taiwan Cement uses a variety of alternative fuels to help solve social environmental problems, "unfriendly environmentalists". On the 26th, it signed the "Hualien Alien Invasive Plant Resource Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding" (MOU) with the Hualien Forestry Bureau and the Ninth River Bureau to help eliminate the silver wattle. In addition, Taiwan Cement's "DAKA again

Many people imagine riding a steam train through the thousand-year-old sacred trees. However, the train's fuel, bituminous coal, emits black smoke, sulfur compounds, and PM2.5 particulate matter, effectively missing out on Alishan's "beautiful mountains, beautiful waters, and beautiful air." Last year (2022), the Alishan area was designated an air quality maintenance zone. The Chiayi County government announced a goal to replace all locomotives by 2025, providing guidance for conversion to more fuel-efficient "environmentally friendly" locomotives. By then, emissions will meet air quality maintenance zone standards. The trains, with their "masks" boasting over 90% smoke filtering efficiency, aim to have all locomotives replaced by 2025. Alishan is Taiwan's highest air quality maintenance zone. The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) held a visit yesterday (the 2nd). Chiayi County EPA Director Zhang Huichuan stated that with emission reduction funds gradually in place, Chiayi County aims to replace all locomotives with more fuel-efficient "environmentally friendly" locomotives by 2025, bringing emissions up to air quality maintenance zone standards. Since 2017, the Chiayi County Government has used the Air Pollution Fund to subsidize the Alishan train to "wear masks" and install smoke filters, which has improved the efficiency to 95% and reduced PM2.5 emissions by 40 kilograms per train per year. Zhang Huichuan pointed out that in the past, the Alishan Forestry and Railway Department of the Forestry Bureau of the Council of Agriculture had modified the antique steam locomotive to be able to burn "biomass coal bricks". This type of coal brick is made by pressing and carbonizing wood chips and coal charcoal. The calorific value of combustion is not inferior to traditional bituminous coal, but the sulfur, ash and volatile matter content is lower. However, burning biomass coal bricks on the train is only experimental, and installing smoke filters cannot solve the problem. The Alishan Air Pollution Control Area will be established in 2022 to introduce electric

The Bureau of Energy (BEI) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MEA) released its "National Electricity Resources Supply and Demand Report" last week (21st), projecting electricity consumption for 2022 to be approximately 279.45 billion kWh, a 1.3% decrease from the previous year (2021). Last year, total installed power generation capacity nationwide was approximately 61.944 million kWh, a net increase of 2.54 million kWh compared to the previous year, driven by significant growth in solar photovoltaics and offshore wind power. The BEI predicts that electricity demand this year will be similar to last year's. Last year's electricity consumption was 279.4 billion kWh, with the service sector showing the largest growth. The BEI of the Ministry of Economic Affairs released its "National Electricity Resources Supply and Demand Report" on the 21st, projecting electricity consumption for 2022 to be approximately 279.45 billion kWh, a 1.3% decrease from the previous year (2021). The industrial sector consumed the most electricity, accounting for 156.8 billion kWh (56%), followed by residential consumption at 50.9 billion kWh (18%) and the service sector at 47.6 billion kWh (17%). In the past few years, industrial electricity consumption has been rising steadily, but this year it has not increased but decreased. The Energy Bureau explained that due to the impact of global inflation and interest rate hikes, supply chain adjustments have caused economic activities in the domestic industrial sector to slow down, and the industrial sector's electricity consumption has decreased by about 4.5 billion kWh compared to 2021, a decrease of 2.81%. In contrast, as the epidemic has eased in the service sector, the number of tourists traveling, dining, and other tourist consumption has returned, and leisure and entertainment, accommodation-related consumption and passenger volume of Taiwan Railways, High Speed ​​Rail, and MRT have continued to recover, causing the service and transportation sectors to increase electricity consumption by about 2.4 billion kWh, an increase of 5.03%. The increase in outdoor activities by the public has also reduced residential electricity consumption by about 1.7 billion kWh, a decrease of 3.18

You may have heard that major companies like TSMC have joined RE100, pledging to use 100% renewable energy by 2050. But have you heard of RF100? Today (June 16th) is World Refill Day, and the Fengcha Action team has launched the "RF100 Drinking Water Zero Waste Project," inviting 100 public departments, organizations, and businesses in Taiwan to sign a commitment to no longer use, provide, or purchase bottled water in all their activities by 2030. Many companies and institutions have already agreed to join, with Lakeshore Hotel and Yiyun Medical stating they have already achieved "zero drinking water waste." Taiwan consumes 6 billion plastic bottles annually, and the public is calling on businesses to commit to zero bottled water by 2030. Taiwan consumes 6 billion plastic bottles annually, 1 billion of which are bottled water. The Fengcha Action team launched the Fengcha app in March 2020, allowing people to easily find nearby drinking tea spots through a "drinking water map." The app has accumulated 230,000 users, with 13,000 tea-serving locations, saving approximately 1.42 million cans of bottled water. The Tea-Serving Action Team specially launched the "RF100 Drinking Water Zero Waste Plan" on World No Packaging Day, inviting 100 companies, public departments, and organizations to commit to 100% eliminating the use of bottled water in internal and external activities by 2030. The team revealed that many companies and institutions have agreed to respond, and some companies have even stated that they do not need to wait until 2030. All internal and external activities and spaces have already stopped using, providing, or purchasing bottled water below 1 liter, including Lion Travel and Yanbo University.

The central and local governments are simultaneously promoting a net-zero transition. Today (the 13th), the Taipei City Government announced the results of its efforts to establish a demonstration temple with energy storage. A 4.8kW rooftop photovoltaic system, paired with a 15kW energy storage system, has been installed at the Qu Yuan Temple in Zhoumeili, Beitou District. This system is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 24,000 kilograms annually. The 4.8kW photovoltaic system combined with the 15kW energy storage system can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 24 tons annually. Taipei City aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and in mid-2018, it passed the "Taipei City Net-Zero Emission Management Autonomous Regulations," becoming the first local regulation in Taiwan to do so. The private sector is also responding to the net-zero transition with action. The Beitou District Zhoumeili Office, the Qu Yuan Temple Management Committee, and private companies have collaborated to install solar panels at the Qu Yuan Temple in Zhoumeili, combined with energy storage and energy conservation facilities. This allows for self-generation and self-consumption of electricity, reducing reliance on utility power and saving on electricity bills. This makes it Taipei City's first demonstration temple with energy storage. The Environmental Protection Bureau explained that the Dragon Boat House next to the Qu Yuan Palace currently has a total of 4.8KW rooftop photovoltaic panels installed, paired with a 15KW energy storage system. The measured power generation from 12:00 on June 5th to 12:00 on June 9th reached 96 kWh. According to the manufacturer's evaluation, the cost of energy creation, energy storage, and energy saving for the Qu Yuan Palace and the Museum of Literature and History is approximately two and a half years of electricity expenses for the temple; in addition, through green energy generation, 24 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced annually. In the future, the scale of the installation will be increased to 8KW, and through the use of a smart power supply system, the electricity consumption of the Qu Yuan Palace and the Museum of Literature and History will be self-generated and self-sufficient. The Taipei City Government announced on the 10th the "2023 Taipei International Dragon Boat Championship-Dragon Boat Eye-Dotting and River Sacrifice Ceremony".

The Taiwan Climate Alliance, in collaboration with Tsinghua University, National Cheng Kung University, and National Taiwan Normal University, held an unveiling ceremony for the "Taiwan Climate Academy" today (the 5th). The Taiwan Climate Alliance noted that domestic industries are facing pressure to reduce carbon emissions, and the demand for manpower for climate governance is increasing. The establishment of the academy can fill this talent gap. Vice President Lai Ching-te attended the event and delivered a speech, emphasizing that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face the challenge of achieving carbon reduction transformation on their own, and that the academy can help those lagging behind achieve a fair transition. Industry and academia have established the "Taiwan Climate Academy" to teach businesses about sustainable management. Taiwan aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and facing international pressure to reduce carbon emissions, the government is actively urging domestic industries to transform. The Taiwan Climate Alliance held an unveiling ceremony for the "Taiwan Climate Academy" today, collaborating with Tsinghua University, National Cheng Kung University, and National Taiwan Normal University. Taiwan Climate Alliance Chairman Hai Ying-jun explained that the rapid rise of the global net-zero and green economy is requiring transformation across all industries, leading to a significant increase in the demand for sustainable talent. He expressed hope that the "Taiwan Climate Academy" will help the information and communications technology (ICT) industry cultivate sustainable management talent and accelerate Taiwan's net-zero transition. Peng Qiming, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Climate Alliance, further explained that the industry is currently facing pressure to reduce carbon emissions. While large corporations may have the means to respond, many small and medium-sized enterprises within the domestic and international supply chains have relatively fewer resources for carbon reduction transitions and need to develop greater climate governance capabilities. The academy can offer courses tailored to each career stage, with experienced sustainability professionals in the industry collaborating to share their ICT industry experience. It also offers case-based teaching methods for corporate decision-makers and climate knowledge training for mid- to senior-level executives.

With the release of the new ISO 9001 quality management system in September 2015, other ISO standards have also been revised. With the exception of ISO 13485, which has slightly different requirements for medical device quality management systems, most standards share common elements such as "organizational context analysis," "ISO 9001:2015 integration," "adoption of the High-Level Scale (HLS) framework," "introduction of risk-based thinking and risk management," and "strengthening the responsibilities of organizational leaders." The "organizational context analysis" section specifically emphasizes "4.1 Understanding the organization and its context" and "4.2 Understanding stakeholder needs and expectations," requiring that internal and external issues affecting the organization be the starting point for establishing, implementing, and maintaining a quality management system, emphasizing the connection between the quality management system and the organization's internal and external environment. Therefore, in the operation of the new version of ISO management system, the focus is no longer just on the implementation results of the project scope corresponding to each standard, but is more closely integrated with the overall operation management and even performance of the enterprise. Just like through the application of SWOT analysis tools, when planning the enterprise operation strategy, the opportunities, threats, strengths, weaknesses and other issues faced by the corresponding projects of each standard are included. Then, risk assessment and response measures are carried out to "leverage strengths" or "prevent problems before they occur"; so that the enterprise operation can obtain appropriate risk control and effectively improve performance, so as to achieve the result of sustainable profit and operation. However, simply conducting S through "understanding the organizational background" is not enough.