To establish a model for net-zero actions that combines innovation with public interest, the "Taiwan Net-Zero Technology Promotion Team" (referred to as the Net-Zero Promotion Team), established by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) through a project managed by the National Experimental Research Institute, held the 2025 "Citizen Group Innovation Demonstration and Sandbox Pilot Program" (referred to as the Sandbox Program) launch meeting today (30th). The meeting brought together 18 citizen groups, startups, and other participants from across Taiwan to gather and collaborate. The teams spanned various sectors such as agriculture, energy, tourism, arts, and humanities, offering local net-zero action ideas from a civil perspective. Together, they set annual goals and embarked on a journey of "testing and diffusion" in net-zero innovation.
"Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is an important national policy goal and a profound social transformation. For policy implementation, we must harness more creative ideas from civil society, diverse actions, and local experiments," said Lü Peirong, Deputy Executive Secretary of the NSTC Technology Office. Based on experience from the first two years, she noted that civil innovation has moved beyond short-term subsidies or local trials and has become an integral part of policy formation, truly implementing a bottom-up governance model. Moreover, government departments and enterprises are key participants in this movement. She hopes today’s discussions will foster a model of three-way collaboration, establishing a resilient and cooperative foundation for the social innovation ecosystem. One of the key drivers of the Sandbox Program, Lin Zilun, Deputy Executive Director of the Energy and Carbon Reduction Office, Executive Yuan, also attended to encourage the teams.
The meeting was jointly planned by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) Green Energy Institute and the National Community University Promotion Association, creating a platform for cross-sector exchange and collaborative creation of pilot projects. Through designs such as "co-creation at tables" and "cross-sector salons," the teams were guided to assess their strengths and challenges and set specific, feasible annual action plans for each group. The goal was to further connect resources from various government departments and explore opportunities for collaboration with enterprises.
The three group themes covered "Agriculture and Carbon Sequestration," "Community Energy Governance," and "Green Living and Circular Innovation." Proposals ranged from exploring the geothermal application potential of indigenous communities, constructing carbon accounting models for urban natural resources, developing Taiwan's first 30% rPET recycled plastic bottle tea drinks, to a fair transition for waste pickers, among other diverse ideas. Through discussions and interactions, the meeting highlighted multiple pathways for social innovation and net-zero actions, drawing on local knowledge.
The salon also invited representatives from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of the Environment, the National Development Council, and Ernst & Young to discuss potential paths for collaboration between "government, enterprises, and communities." The discussions covered topics such as policy integration and corporate ESG implementation, sparking ideas for promoting local innovation and the net-zero transformation.
Zhou Suqing, Chief Advisor of the Net-Zero Promotion Team, posed questions to the three government bodies and stated that the Sandbox Program not only involves innovative implementation but also possesses visionary, planning, and influential power. It serves as a platform where like-minded individuals come together and connect with policies to achieve a multi-party collaborative vision.
"Promoting net-zero issues cannot be purely based on commercial interests, especially when many commercial values are not monetary or will only manifest in the future," said Chuang Mingchi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. He noted that the Ministry already has mechanisms to assist industries in transitioning to net-zero and that commercial models that do not have immediate market value could be marketized through legal adjustments or by leveraging policy advocacy and international supply chain demands to create market demand.
"Net-zero and carbon reduction are not just the responsibility of the national government; they are issues that affect all of us directly," said Tsai Lingyi, Director-General of the Climate Change Department, Ministry of the Environment. While climate change adaptation has been elevated to the Presidential level, she emphasized that the key is effective implementation and local integration. This year, the Ministry of the Environment also has intermediary organization-related projects, aimed at nurturing key communities to integrate resources and ensure that community-driven efforts play an important role in future net-zero efforts.
Chang Fulin, Director-General of the Social Development Department, National Development Council, also shared that the National Development Council expects to collaborate with local communities and third-party intermediary organizations to establish governance platforms. "Civil power can be a great operating mechanism, but when cooperating with enterprises, it is important to remember that enterprises are profit-driven," said Lin Qunyao, Executive Vice President of Ernst & Young. He pointed out that many enterprises are deeply rooted in local areas and care about local development, so when collaborating with businesses, it is important to pay attention to their movements and interests related to the local area.
Entering its third year, the Sandbox Program this year has further focused on three core goals: expanding the social impact of civil actions, deepening the alignment of government department systems, and promoting enterprise matchmaking and sustainable collaboration mechanisms. Through the support and strategic facilitation of third-party intermediary teams, the program helps pilot teams connect across domains, converge strategies, and gradually realize a bottom-up net-zero action network starting from local communities. As the Sandbox continues to accumulate substantial experience and establish a foundation for policy dialogue, it is hoped that more innovative solutions can not only be implemented but also be legislated and commercialized, opening up diverse and resilient new paths for Taiwan's net-zero transformation.
Source: Economic Daily
Website: https://money.udn.com/money/story/6722/8841808
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