The meeting concluded on the morning of the 20th, with an agreement reached to establish a fund for climate disasters. However, other carbon reduction initiatives largely maintained last year's progress, with no further commitments made. The Global Methane Pledge, proposed last year, saw approximately 50 additional signatories this year, pledging to reduce methane emissions. However, China and India, two major methane emitters, did not join. Methane is the second-largest contributor to global warming, with a warming potential dozens of times greater than that of carbon dioxide. During the ministerial meeting on the 17th, China's special climate envoy, Xie Zhenhua, made a surprise appearance. He noted that China's methane reduction strategy was undergoing approval, but he did not join the pledge. 150 countries have joined the Global Methane Pledge, while China and India did not. At last year's UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), 105 countries signed the Global Methane Pledge, jointly initiated by the United States and the European Union, pledging to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 (compared to 2020 levels). After a year, at a ministerial meeting on methane on the 17th, US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced that more than 150 countries have joined the commitment, and 50 have already launched related plans or actions. The United States and the European Union also issued a joint statement outlining the progress of the global methane initiative this year. 95% of countries around the world are incorporating methane into their national carbon reduction plans, and many countries have stated that they will complete their national methane action plans before the next conference (COP28). About 40% of methane emissions come from natural resources such as wetlands, and 60% from

The European Union will pilot the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) next year (2023), potentially impacting Taiwanese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) along the supply chain. Yesterday (the 16th), Taiwan Today published the results of a survey on carbon reduction among SMEs, finding that approximately 85% of companies had heard of the CBAM, with over 25% believing it had a "significant impact" on their companies. The survey also revealed that nearly 55% of SMEs have net-zero plans, with "paying attention to information" and "improving energy management and efficiency" being the most common practices adopted. The two main challenges facing SMEs in the net-zero process are "lack of industry resources or guidance" and "a lack of relevant professional talent within the company." The CBAM will be piloted next year, with small Taiwanese manufacturers already receiving "carbon reduction orders" to comply with the net-zero goal. The European Union expects to begin piloting the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) next year, with its official implementation in 2027. In the future, manufacturers will be required to purchase carbon credits or pay a sufficient carbon fee to import their manufactured products into the EU, which will have a significant impact on Taiwanese SMEs. This Week magazine recently collaborated with the National Small and Medium Enterprises Association and China Development Financial Holdings to investigate carbon reduction issues among Taiwan's small and medium-sized enterprises. Over 10,000 questionnaires were sent out, and 276 valid samples were collected. A press conference was held yesterday (16th) to announce the results. According to the survey, approximately 85.3% of companies have heard of CBAM, of which 26.66% believe it has a "significant impact" on their companies. The system is about to be piloted, and the impact can already be seen. According to This Week magazine, Taiwan's small wire manufacturer, Xincheng Company, has been receiving inquiries from the government since June this year.

Where will the world's first capital city go all-electric for public transportation? The answer might be Oslo, Norway. Ruter, Oslo's public transport company, recently ordered 137 more electric buses, with delivery expected by the end of 2023. This is part of Oslo's plan to fully electrify its public transport by 2023, five years ahead of schedule. With a population of 700,000, Oslo is a leader in sustainable transportation, boasting an extensive tram and bicycle network, and most of the fjord ferries are electric. Changes have also been quietly taking place in another part of the city. The lawn mowers and excavators at Oslo's cemeteries have also gone electric. The lawns are no longer mowed in a single, flat surface, but have been restored to wild meadows and beehives have been installed. Wildflowers in the meadows attract insects, which in turn attract birds and owls, and foxes and deer have also arrived. Magne Hustavenes, the cemetery's director, told The New Yorker writer Nick Romeo that a woman complained that the flowers she had placed at a grave were missing and suspected someone had stolen them. The staff explained that recently deer were often spotted eating roses in the cemetery. The woman happily asked, "What do they like? What kind of flowers should I bring next time?" The city government is embracing low-carbon transportation. From transportation to cemeteries, everything is part of Oslo's zero-carbon city plan. Based on 2009, Oslo has set a goal of reducing carbon emissions by 95% by 2030. Here, there are more parking spaces for electric vehicles and they are cheaper. The government has also set up a "net zero emission zone."

The Global Carbon Project released its "2022 Global Carbon Budget" report on the 11th, showing no signs of abating global carbon dioxide emissions. The report directly indicates that if current emissions continue, there is a 50% chance that global average temperature rise will exceed 1.5°C within nine years. Scientists predict that Earth is likely to exceed 1.5°C of warming by 2040, reaching an irreversible climate threshold. 1.5°C is also the target set by the United Nations Paris Agreement, and countries around the world are working to strengthen their carbon reduction commitments at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt this week. What is the Global Carbon Project? What are the latest projections for 2022? How much carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere by humans, and how much is offset by carbon sinks on land and in the oceans? Calculating the difference between the two provides a glimpse into Earth's carbon budget. If we want to limit global warming to 1.5°C, we have very little room left to "cut back" on our carbon emissions. Just like a financial budget, a "carbon budget" shows how much a country can spend over a period of time - but in units of greenhouse gas emissions, not money. The Global Carbon Budget report predicts that carbon emissions will remain high in 2022, with anthropogenic emissions reaching 40.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide, slightly higher than the 40.2 billion tons in 2021, but slightly lower than the 40.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2019. The "Global Carbon Budget" has been updated annually since 2006. This year (2022) is the 17th report.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) will convene on the 6th. Besides carbon reduction, a key focus in recent years has been on compensation and climate finance funds. How much do climate disasters cost? According to a recent study, heatwaves caused by climate change in the two decades between 1992 and 2013 have already cost the world at least $16 trillion in economic losses. Even the poorest countries with the lowest carbon emissions have been affected, highlighting the inequalities inherent in the climate crisis. The study, published in the journal Science Advances on October 28th, was conducted by Dartmouth College geography professor Mankin and doctoral student Christopher Callahan. They calculated the impact of extreme heat waves on health, agricultural losses, productivity, and other areas between 1992 and 2013 to be approximately $16 trillion. According to the study, in wealthy regions like Europe and North America, extreme heatwaves cost per capita GDP 1.5%. By comparison, low-income countries like India and Indonesia experienced an annual per capita GDP loss of 6.7%. Mankin said this reveals the issue of climate justice and inequality. The economic losses caused by heat waves are disproportionately borne by poor countries in the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere, most of which have low carbon emissions. The Guardian pointed out that because these regions are already hot, heat waves will hit them harder; and because they already have poor economic conditions, they are more vulnerable when they encounter climate disasters.

Electricity prices are rising in Europe. According to Rystad Energy, an energy analysis and consulting firm, if electricity prices reach €350 per megawatt-hour (MWh), the payback period for solar photovoltaic and wind power investments could be reduced from ten years to less than one year. At €180, the payback period would be approximately five to six years. The firm predicts a surge in renewable energy deployment in Europe. Once inflation and war factors subside, electricity prices will fall, extending the payback period. However, Rystad Energy argues that taking advantage of this opportunity to recover upfront investment costs will yield substantial profits even if electricity prices return to historical levels. Rising electricity prices mean renewable energy investments can be recouped in as little as one year. Australian energy media outlet Renew Economy reports that new research from Rystad Energy shows that renewable energy investment is expected to reach $494 billion in 2022, compared to $446 billion for oil and gas. This will be the first time that renewable energy investment exceeds both oil and gas. Generally speaking, solar and wind power have high initial investment costs, requiring government subsidies to generate profitability. However, after Russia's attack on Ukraine, European electricity prices soared, and the price of renewable energy followed suit. Analysts say that high electricity prices will allow renewable energy investments to be recouped in less than a year, potentially ushering in a new wave of construction. According to a report by World News Network at the end of August, Germany's electricity price for 2023 delivery (the European benchmark electricity price) soared to over €1,000 per MWh, and France's electricity price contracts also rose to €1,000.

By 2025, Taiwan will have 164,000 registered electric vehicles, with the goal of achieving universal adoption by 2050. With the addition of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology, electric vehicles will not only become energy storage facilities, like mobile power banks, but will even assist in power dispatch, contributing to stable electricity supply. Industry experts estimate that by 2050, Taiwan's electric vehicle fleet will hold 560 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, equivalent to Taiwan's daily electricity needs, with over 70% of that capacity in electric vehicles. On the 19th, Energy Taiwan International Smart Energy Week held the "Green Energy Technology Launches Net Zero Era Competitiveness Forum," exploring how Taiwan can enhance its energy transition competitiveness through two key themes: "New Business Opportunities in Energy Storage Applications" and "New Markets for Green Electricity Trading." Electric vehicles can store a considerable amount of electricity, accounting for 70% of the country's daily electricity consumption in 2050. In 2025, there will be 164,000 electric vehicles registered in Taiwan, and this number is expected to grow to 700,000 and 2.8 million in 2030 and 2040, respectively. It is expected that the goal of full popularization of electric vehicles will be achieved in 2050. In recent years, the promotion of "Vehicle-to-Grid" technology (V2G for short) has enabled the power of electric vehicle batteries to be sent back to the power grid, transforming electric vehicles into energy storage facilities and "mobile power banks." Lin Junying, deputy general manager of the electric vehicle charging station company "eTreego" (eTreego), pointed out that the battery packs currently carried by electric vehicles usually have a capacity of more than 70kWh, etc.

Taiwan is a paradise for hand-shaken beverages, but this also means Taiwanese consumers consume 2.2 billion disposable beverage cups annually. If not properly recycled, these cups ultimately become a significant amount of plastic waste, leading to the adoption of shared cups as a viable solution. How is this trend being promoted abroad, making drinking beverages environmentally friendly? Four years have passed since Taiwan announced expanded restrictions on single-use plastics in 2018. With Taipei City set to completely ban disposable beverage cups this December, the long-standing "shared beverage cup" initiative seems to offer a compelling alternative that balances environmental protection and convenience. However, consumer habits, hygiene concerns, and the sheer variety of hand-shaken beverages and cups in Taiwan have all made implementation challenging. So, how are these initiatives being implemented abroad? The UK's Cupclub shared coffee cups, offering a seamless delivery and cleaning experience, have proven to be a huge success. British brand Qureshi launched its Cupclub shared coffee cup program in 2019, designing reusable, shareable coffee cups for coffee shops that are similar in capacity to disposable takeout cups. Consumers only need to buy coffee at the coffee shop as usual, and return it to the designated location after drinking. Cupclub will send people to each point to collect and clean the cups, and then send them back to the coffee shop for continued use. On average, one cup can be reused 132 times. The cup of Cupclub is based on the use of "plastic coating" waterproof paper cups. This thin plastic waterproof layer is difficult to handle due to its complex material.

The RE100 international initiative has become a trend in carbon reduction. Including TSMC, 21 Taiwanese companies have joined RE100 to date, committing to using 100% renewable energy, with this goal to be achieved no later than 2050. However, the industry believes that insufficient green electricity supply, high energy storage costs, and the integration of electricity and electricity certificates in Taiwan make achieving RE100 challenging. How will Jinghua Industrial, the first textile company in the Asia-Pacific region to join RE100, embrace the green electricity era? Founded in 1992, Jinghua Industrial boasts a vertical industry chain integrating textile dyeing and finishing with garment manufacturing, focusing on fleece and functional fabrics for outdoor sporting goods. It is the first textile company in the Asia-Pacific region to sign the RE100 initiative and the sixth company in Taiwan to declare its membership. "At first, I thought RE100 was just about building (renewable energy facilities)," Huang Yanxiang said with a wry smile. Jinghua Industries, headquartered in Taiwan, has textile factories both at home and abroad, including weaving factories, dyeing and finishing factories, and garment factories. Its domestic bases alone consume approximately 26 million kWh of electricity annually, with Toufen and Dayuan factories consuming 12 million kWh and 14 million kWh respectively. The total contract capacity of the two factories is approximately 4,000 kW. Electricity users above 5,000 kW are considered large electricity users as recognized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. In 2020, Jinghua became a member of RE100, promising to achieve 100% use of renewable energy by 2040, and the phased goals are to achieve RE35 and RE65 (green electricity accounts for 35% and 65% respectively) in 2030 and 2035 respectively.

The next two UN climate talks will be held in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. COP27 will be held in Egypt this November, while COP28 will be held in the United Arab Emirates in 2023. Climate change has only recently become a mainstream issue in the MENA region, where political security, the oil and gas economy, and religious tensions have historically dominated local news. In recent years, MENA countries have experienced unprecedented extreme weather events, including heatwaves and floods, making the current situation difficult to ignore. Climate projections indicate that these events will continue to intensify. Environmental change will increasingly intertwine with political and economic dynamics, impacting the region's people, trading partners, and investors. As Egypt, the new COP presidency, has emphasized the importance of climate adaptation, we need to consider what climate adaptation measures are needed in the MENA region and how international cooperation can help mitigate its multiple risks. A uniquely risky region The Middle East and North Africa region has a complex and diverse geography: from the sometimes snow-capped pine forests of Morocco's Atlas Mountains to the lush vegetation nurtured by the monsoon in Dhofar, southern Oman. But overall, the Middle East and North Africa region is the most water-scarce of any major region in the world. Over the past 50 years, oil revenues and foreign aid have fueled rapid population growth, urban development, and the

The tourism industry finally rebounded in 2022. According to the World Tourism Organization, global tourism numbers had recovered to half their pre-pandemic levels by May 2022. However, just as we were looking forward to returning to the days of free international travel, tourist destinations around the world were experiencing extreme weather conditions due to climate change. The Glasgow Tourism Declaration: To address the impact of climate change on the tourism industry and the environmental impacts of reduced tourist numbers, over 300 tourism industry players signed the Glasgow Tourism Climate Action Declaration on the eve of the 2021 Glasgow Climate Conference (COP26). To date, over 500 have signed on. The declaration outlines a blueprint to halve tourism carbon emissions over the next decade and reach net zero by 2050. The declaration also outlines several principles for tourism industry players to adhere to when implementing their respective climate action plans: 1. Inventory and disclose all tourism-related carbon emissions to facilitate carbon reduction targets. 2. Eliminate carbon emissions that may occur during travel, such as transportation, accommodation, beverages, and food. The second principle emphasizes that decarbonization is the main carbon reduction tool, and carbon capture and removal can only be used as auxiliary tools to achieve net zero carbon emissions. Third, restore and protect ecosystems to allow nature's carbon removal capabilities to play a role and ensure the integrity of biodiversity. In addition, because most tourist attractions are in areas that are vulnerable to climate change, it is also necessary to strengthen the adaptation and recovery capabilities of these attractions to achieve a balance between tourists, owners and the ecosystem. Fourth, with

In Germany and Taiwan, "economy, efficiency, and scale" appear to be the primary drivers of green energy development policy. Large renewable energy companies are significantly limiting the scope for citizen power plants. In addition to continuously fostering citizen participation in the energy transition, the government's provision of more institutional safeguards for citizen power plants, such as more flexible regulations for their establishment and streamlined subsidy application procedures, will be crucial for their continued development. Compared to traditional fossil fuels, renewable energy offers greater opportunities for integration with public interests such as community development, local economies, and citizen participation. The recent growth of energy cooperatives in Taiwan is a prime example. These "energy cooperatives" are more like energy-focused citizen cooperatives, where community residents jointly invest in renewable energy equipment (such as solar panels and small wind turbines) to share profits or use for their own benefit. All participants, regardless of shareholding, have equal decision-making power. Consequently, citizen power cooperatives are considered a form of democratic economic organization. Germany is often cited as a success story in the development of citizen power plants. However, citizen energy in Germany has also faced numerous challenges and bottlenecks. According to data from Trend:Research, as much as 30% to 40% of Germany's renewable energy comes from private solar panels. The German Renewable Energy Agency also pointed out that renewable energy installed by citizens has long been the main driving force of Germany's energy transformation. This large amount of green energy produced by citizens can be attributed in part to Germany's decades of

In Germany and Taiwan, "economy, efficiency, and scale" appear to be the primary drivers of green energy development policy. Large renewable energy companies are significantly limiting the scope for citizen power plants. In addition to continuously fostering the enthusiasm of individual citizens to participate in the energy transition, the government should provide more institutional safeguards for citizen power plants, such as more flexible regulations for setting up citizen power plants and streamlined subsidy application procedures. These will be crucial for their continued development. Three Keys to the Sustainability of German Citizen Power Plants: For citizen power plants in Germany to survive, they must first adapt to the increasingly market-oriented trend, such as through limited collaboration with green energy companies and finding their own advantages within the complex bidding and tendering system. They must also work harder to attract new members, including women, the middle class, and those from lower socioeconomic groups. Institutional reforms are crucial. Most Germans rent long-term, with up to 40% of renters living in the same home for at least 10 years. However, due to numerous regulatory restrictions, renters often face difficulties in installing their own solar panels. With relaxed regulations and encouraging policies, renters will have greater opportunities to become key participants in citizen power plants. On the other hand, citizen groups such as BBEn, BUND, and SFV also pointed out that an energy sharing system should be established in Germany. This model allows households with green power generation equipment to sell or transfer excess electricity to neighboring households, making the electricity market more flexible and allowing more citizens to participate in green power development even if they do not have the corresponding resources, forming a shared and mutually beneficial energy community.

With just 50 days left until the COP27 climate conference in Egypt, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in collaboration with several professional organizations, released the latest edition of its joint scientific report, "United in Science," in mid-September. The report states unequivocally that humanity is heading in the wrong direction. Without more ambitious carbon reduction action, the devastating impacts of climate change will become increasingly devastating! The brief "boom" of carbon reductions over the past two years due to the pandemic has now vanished. It's unstoppable! The 1.5°C warning line will be breached within five years. As the pandemic gradually recedes and society resumes normal operations, human carbon emissions appear to be resuming, even exceeding previous levels. In 2020, global anthropogenic carbon emissions fell by 5.4%. However, since last year, as countries have gradually relaxed restrictions and resumed production and trade, they have slowly returned to pre-pandemic levels. Data from the first five months of this year show that global carbon emissions were 1.2% higher than in 2019, with the largest increases in the United States (5.7%) and India (7.5%). Then came the familiar scene: countries were struck by a succession of climate disasters, from the heatwave in Europe and the devastating floods in Pakistan to the severe droughts that continue to plague China, the United States, and Africa. In May 2022, the iconic Mauna Loa station in Hawaii recorded a record-breaking atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration of 420.99 ppm!