In the pursuit of achieving 2050 Net-Zero targets, decarbonization without exacerbating regional development imbalances has become a shared challenge in global climate governance. In early 2025, Taiwan introduced the "Net-Zero Pathway: Taiwan's Comprehensive Carbon Reduction Action Plan," identifying "regional equity" as one of the four pillars of a Just Transition. However, translating this principle into actionable policy tools requires a robust, evidence-based foundation. This project, commissioned by the National Development Council, bridges this gap by employing spatial data science, drawing on methodologies developed by the OECD. It introduces a place-based spatial analytical framework for Taiwan's Net-Zero Just Transition, supported by a multi-variable industrial database that integrates factory locations, revenue, employment, and carbon emissions. Utilizing spatial analysis, such as Location Quotient (LQ), Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), and causal inference models, the study identifies cluster boundaries and dynamic trends across six key high-priority industries: manufacture of petrochemicals, steel, electronics, cement, paper, and textiles. The project systematically evaluates the differentiated regional impacts of net-zero measures through three dimensions: industrial clustering, carbon fee impacts, and green energy economic benefits.

The findings indicate that Taiwan's greenhouse gas emissions are highly concentrated in specific regions, reflecting the historical trajectory of industrial deployments under the developmental state mode. This spatial concentration implies that policies such as carbon fee levies will impose disproportionately heavy burdens on a limited number of regions. Specific regions where employment heavily depends on high-priority industries will face the dual pressure of carbon costs and employment vulnerability. Furthermore, analysis of green energy benefits reveals that the income-boosting effect of onshore wind turbines last only about four years, while the local economic contribution of solar photovoltaics remains marginal. With approximately 80% of renewable energy generated in central and southern Taiwan, and electricity-intensive electronics clusters concentrated in the north, a significant spatial mismatch exists between the costs and benefits of the energy transition. These results underscore the need to shift from a singular national target toward multidimensional governance that prioritizes regional equity. Policy planning should be based on industrial clusters rather than administrative boundaries, supported by cross-regional dynamic monitoring and early-warning mechanisms to transform transition risks into opportunities for regional rebalancing.

To address these challenges, this project draws on the Scottish Government's framework for just transition and incorporates the LEAP (Locate, Evaluate, Assess, Prepare) risk assessment process to develop the "Regional Equity Guidelines for Taiwan's Net-Zero Just Transition." Expanding the policy vision from "leaving no one behind" to "leaving no place behind," the study proposes six guiding principles and corresponding action items to help government ministries and commissions integrate regional equity into the core of net-zero policymaking. In summary, this project advances regional equity from a conceptual discourse to a governance framework grounded in spatial empirical evidence, providing Taiwan with a strategic pathway that balances environmental sustainability, economic development, and social equity.