This study explores the challenges and opportunities faced during the governance process of Taiwan’s net-zero transition, with a particular focus on policy integration, legal frameworks, and organizational aspects between the central and local governments. This study is comprised of three approaches. Approach 1 will employ questionnaire surveys and involve focus groups to examine the overall framework of Taiwan’s net-zero governance. Approach 2 will investigate the specific challenges encountered by local governments in fulfilling their net-zero commitments and governance. Approach 3 will address the key issues identified in approaches 1 and 2 from the perspective of social communication by engaging with the general public and the youth, aimed at making relevant policy recommendations.

Net-zero transition encompasses technology, economy, society, law, and policy across various fields. This project aims to analyze key issues through cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral assessments, focusing on the characteristics, challenges, and integrated analyses of the four main pillars and twelve key strategies for the 2050 net-zero transition. It prioritizes the cross-disciplinary integration and development of sustainable finance, sustainable energy, and net-zero buildings. Integrating sustainable energy and net-zero buildings, for example, involves analysis beyond legal aspects to include the twelve key strategies like wind/solar power, advanced energy, power systems and storage, building energy saving, and zero-waste resource recycling. Therefore, this approach causes cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral analysis. The project will leverage integrated quantitative surveys, focus groups, and expert meetings. Unlike traditional legal or policy analysis, it innovatively engages stakeholders in reviewing and monitoring net-zero topics through a participatory, interactive, and feedback-driven process.

Countries around the world have been facing the threat of extreme disasters in recent years, including extreme rainfall, high temperatures, and droughts. Various kinds of losses, their frequency, and the amounts of losses have shown an obvious upward trend. In addition to the direct economic losses caused by disasters, the recovery, reconstruction, and financial problems faced by the governments of various countries are severe challenges after the catastrophe. The impact of the huge losses caused by climate change on the financial system for industries has become more and more obvious, exposing banking and insurance firms to credit and compensation risks. In response to the increasing risks of climate disasters, the industries have begun to follow the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) to introduce the concept of climate-related financial disclosure. It is expected that through the promotion of TCFD-aligned disclosures, a comprehensive understanding of the risks and possible opportunities of climate change will be achieved.